Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this important question. Deputies have been caught off guard due to the changes to the Order of Business.

I am very conscious of the inconvenience and hardship being caused by the parasitic outbreak of cryptosporidium in Galway. I have made my Department's resources and expertise available to the local authorities in Galway to help them to resolve the problem in the shortest possible timescale.

Last Friday I travelled to Galway to meet the Galway city and county mayors and their officials, together with representatives of the Health Service Executive. I subsequently briefed public representatives on the outcome of the discussions, during which an extensive package of measures to mitigate the effects of the current situation and to accelerate a permanent solution was agreed. It was agreed at the meeting that the city and county councils would work to reduce the immediate impact on households directly affected by the present difficulties.

The main points of the agreement include continuing the efforts to identify the source or sources of the outbreak. The 2004 report of the National Disease Surveillance Centre stated that cryptosporidium is predominantly a parasite of neo-natal farm animals. Water supply output from the Tuam plant will be increased to augment the city supply. A pipe connects the Tuam plant to Galway and water may be transferred along it. The additional water supply can come on stream within a matter of weeks. The old Terryland water treatment plant will be phased out as additional water is delivered from the Tuam system.

A package treatment plant will be installed at Terryland before the end of the year. I have asked the authorities to be ambitious and to fast-track this plant. It will provide 18 million litres per day, which is more than the current output from the old Terryland plant that is at the centre of the problem. The longer-term upgrade of the Terryland treatment facility, which was approved for funding under my Department's water services investment programme from 2002 onwards, has an estimated cost of €21.46 million and is being fast-tracked.

I also indicated last Friday that I would respond positively to a request from Galway County Council, which has sought funding of approximately €27.4 million for increased water storage capacity and additional conservation measures in the Tuam regional scheme. This will allow water to be made available to the city as required in the longer term. I have given Galway County Council permission to invite tenders for these works. Incidentally, as the application was lodged only last November, the county council is to be commended on acting extremely rapidly.

Additional resources will be provided to Galway city and county councils in respect of staffing to deal with the immediate problem and the exceptional costs of, for example, water quality testing or the delivery of water to households. In addition, Galway City Council's recent application for permanent additional staff to work on its water services programme is being assessed.

My main focus is on advancing the short, medium and longer-term solutions represented by the increased supply from the Tuam regional scheme, for which I am grateful to the county council, which should allow the old Terryland plant to be decommissioned; the installation of an interim package treatment plant; and the completion of a substantive upgrading project in Terryland. Any assistance my Department can provide to the local authorities has been promised and will be forthcoming.

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