Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and I am glad to have the opportunity to respond to it. I visited Ennis a few weeks ago to see what the situation was on the ground and so have first-hand awareness of what residents and businesses have to contend with.

I express my concern to the people of Ennis and surrounding areas who have been affected by the "boil water" notices and echo the view that everything possible must be done to get this problem resolved. I am aware that there have been three "boil water" notices since last May, including one last Friday, which, I understand, was caused by a technical failure at the source. I fully appreciate that having to boil water, necessary though it may be to protect public health, causes inconvenience, distress and anxiety and should not be a regular occurrence in any part of Ireland today.

The problem with the Ennis water supply stems from the fact that the source is vulnerable to contamination, including contaminants from septic tanks or agricultural run off, and the only process the water is currently put though is chlorination. Disinfection by chlorination produces a good quality supply at nearly all times, but needs to be supplemented by additional treatment to remove the occasional risk associated with chlorine resistant organisms in the water.

The Ennis town water supply treatment scheme will put the necessary treatment facilities in place and has been approved for construction in my Department's water services investment programme at an estimated cost of €6.5 million. The Minister has given clearance to Clare County Council to invite tenders for the scheme and the money for it is ready and waiting in the Department. The Department's officials have assisted the council to speed up the finalisation of the tender documents and the council has already short-listed a panel of suitable contractors who will be asked to tender for the scheme.

Like everyone else in the House, I want to see the work getting under way at the earliest possible date. However, we must be realistic and remember that what we do now must solve the problem effectively and permanently. The reality is that we are looking at a period of about two years before that permanent solution is in place.

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