Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment. More than 50 years ago, a predecessor of mine, a Deputy from Tipperary South - I do not remember his name - put down a parliamentary question about the Burncourt regional water scheme. Burncourt and Fethard regional water schemes have now been bundled together. Both are very important infrastructural projects in my constituency and this cannot be overstated. They used to be two individual projects and I suppose they still are, but they have been bundled in recent times into one project.

In April 1999, some £800,000 was approved to progress the Burncourt regional water scheme. In May 2004, a further sum of €6.1 million was approved by the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to proceed with the scheme. Sad to say, the Celtic tiger was around. He was a cub at that stage and he developed into a full tiger, but he has now left our shores and we still do not have a proper standard of drinking water in the Burncourt and Fethard areas.

I wish to acknowledge the work of the county council, especially South Tipperary County Council and the sanitary services staff, the current Minister, Deputy John Gormley, and his private secretary, Mr. Eddie Keenan, for their co-operation in this matter. I wish to mention Mr. Aidan Fennessy of the sanitary services staff, our plumber, Anthony O'Dwyer, and our water caretakers. One of them is retiring from the county council in two weeks' time after 37 years' service. He was a front line worker, along with his colleague, Joe Carrigan. They were called out whenever there was trouble, such as bad water or no water.

Unfortunately, we have been operating under a boil water notice since September at the instigation of the HSE. It was activated by some families who happened to be working as laboratory technicians in private companies and tested the water. They brought the results to the notice of the EPA and the HSE. These bodies had to be prodded into taking action. A large area is currently under a boil water notice, including a school, many local families and communities, a food processing plant, public houses and shops and butchers. It is not acceptable and it is a significant worry.

I plead with the relevant officials to try to progress this as speedily as possible because the situation has gone on for far too long. I acknowledge the support of my colleagues, Deputy Tom Hayes and the Minister of State, Deputy Martin Mansergh, on the issue as well as the elected local representatives.

I thank the consumers for being so patient. They recently set up a concerned consumers committee which is working very hard and has a lot of expertise among its ranks. Those involved are working tirelessly with the council officials and the EPA and the health board officials. We have made adaptations to make the archaic system safer and better. I also thank Coillte and the An Oige youth hostel and the local farmers for their help. I am concerned because Coillte has planted trees in proximity to the source stream and supply and after harvesting etc. certain dangerous materials can wash into this source. A new abstraction order must be obtained for Fethard and Burncourt. Unfortunately, the two schemes have been bundled together. During the Celtic tiger everything had to be big and wonderful. A scheme costing €7 million was not deemed big enough.

I accept the Burncourt abstraction order has now been completed without objections. Unfortunately, the Fethard scheme had to be re-tendered and is now out for public consultation and it looks promising. However, we will not know until 27 November if there will be submissions or objections or if it will go to An Bord Pleanála. However, I put down a marker here and if that happens I will continue to apply pressure to have the schemes unbundled and, along with my colleagues, lobby to have the Burncourt scheme progressed with haste and to move the matter on.

We are weary and tired of consultants' reports and other reports going to the Department. In turn, it reverts to the locality some months later with queries. County council officials compile reports for health consultants and they go back to the Department. This has been going on for far too long and it must stop. All the evidence is there and the reports are in place. We must see tender documents prepared and the sod turned for this badly needed project. That would allow the people, young and old, of Burncourt and Fethard, but especially Burncourt, access to clean, safe water on which they can rely and they would no longer have to worry about sicknesses and everything else. I thank the Acting Chairman, Deputy Michael Kennedy, for the time and I look forward to the reply of the Minister of State.

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