Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

This morning, I met the directors of a number of aid agencies to discuss the question of clean drinking water in developing countries. On the morning the Government will launch its environmental programme, it is ironic that I raise the question of clean drinking water in one of the richest countries in the developed world.

According to the health services, the people of Galway face a health epidemic because of the contamination of their water supply. The Health Service Executive is now informing people — particularly the elderly, very young and vulnerable — that they could die from the contamination of water with cryptosporidium.

In response, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has given a juvenile and irresponsible performance and he has hived off blame to everyone except himself. As has been pointed out on numerous occasions, there has been a €600 million underspend across the broader region. This means that places like Oughterard, Headford, Clonbur and Claregalway have completely insufficient sewerage systems.

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