Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I thank the two Deputies who raised this matter. Deputy McCormack asked a specific question and I will cut to the details of that because he is entitled to specifics.

The presence of cryptosporidium was confirmed on 20 March, as Deputy McCormack knows. It was found to be involved at the old Terryland plant, which is part of the Galway city water supply. That was confirmed by further research the following day. I understand that there is no cryptosporidium to be found in the Galway council's second and more modern plant at Terryland.

Deputy McCormack asked me specifically to clarify the position on funding. I am pleased to confirm that the funding has been in place for a number of years but that the Galway council still has to prepare the brief to draw down that funding.

Inadequate filtration capacity at the old treatment plant in Terryland is at the centre of the problem in Galway city. Funding has been in place for some considerable time, under my Department's water services investment programme. As Deputy McCormack acknowledged, the funding is in the sum of €21.5 million. That money is intended to upgrade the plant and will minimise future risk of cryptosporidium entering the supply. I understand that Galway City Council will submit a brief for the appointment of consultants to prepare a preliminary report for this scheme to my Department as soon as possible.

As Deputy McCormack stated, the current difficulty for the people in Galway is an extremely serious matter. One of the basic and fundamental supplies which our local authorities are responsible for providing is clean water and it is astonishing that €21.5 million has been available to carry out services, with which, as Deputy McCormack suggests, it has been known in this area for some time that there were problems. I cannot understand why the brief has not been prepared and I have asked for an explanation of that. I have indicated to my Department that the brief, as soon as it is submitted, receive immediate attention and clearance in the Department.

I hope this latest incident will prompt the council in this case to show urgency in the matter and will certainly prompt local council members to show more focus and ambition on the issue. After all, that is what the people of Galway city and Galway council have elected their councillors to do. Deputy McCormack might like to inquire locally as to precisely why there has been such lethargy on the issue. My Department has spoken to the council and I am convinced that it is working hard on the issue.

I also understand from the contacts that have been made with the city council that it is putting temporary filtration facilities in place until the upgrade of the Terryland plant is complete and will produce a report on the available options later this week. As soon as that report comes to my Department it will receive attention. I wholeheartedly support the idea and my Department will assist the council in any way it can. Moreover, we will look positively on and support any proposals from the council for advance works on the €21.5 million permanent scheme.

Deputy McCormack mentioned other schemes in the area and I will advert to two of them. The Headford water supply scheme is a small stand-alone scheme using raw water from Lough Corrib with disinfection only. A €29 million extension to the Tuam regional water scheme to Headford, which is also funded by my Department, is under construction and commissioning is expected to take place in August next. In the meantime, I understand that Galway County Council has secured an alternative supply, which could be in place within a week or so, from the Caherlistrane-Kilcoona group water scheme, which itself has had a €4 million treatment plant installed last month with funding from my Department. It is simply untruthful to suggest that funding is not being provided by the Government.

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