Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)

The taxes of people living in Addergoole and Corrasluastia went towards meeting the cost of the urban scheme in my area and the same should happen in this case. There is money available. Regardless of how much money has been wasted, the Government still has €16 billion to spend on capital projects in the next four years. If even half the number of septic tanks in the country need to be upgraded, even in the most extreme case, at a cost of €10,000, the Government should do it. Regardless of the value it will achieve from the €16 billion it will spend on capital projects in the next four years, it will not obtain better value than it will from spending €1 billion, if that is what it takes, in this regard. It would secure watercourses from potential pollution. What an achievement that would be within a period of four years. Even if it was to cost €1 billion, half of this sum would come back to the State by way of taxes, VAT and so on. Also, there could be a saving by the removal from the dole queue of people who could be engaged in fitting these systems. It would be a win-win.

I have heard people in Connemara got out of bed at 5 a.m., 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. to protest here. I do not know what time they got up, but I do know that the people of Connemara would have camped outside overnight if that is what it would take to make their case. People would not have to protest if the Government took the sensible route. People living in rural Ireland do not want to pollute their water supply. They have to make up bottles for their babies with that water and to brush their teeth with it. They do not want to be criminalised or accused of being bad citizens, as they have been time and again, including in the newspaper of record. I am beginning to doubt if it deserves that title anymore. We were torn into by its journalists as though we were gurriers or backward. We want a clean water supply, but we also want to be treated equally. I come from a townland in which many people live. The Government paid for my sewage treatment scheme and should pay for the schemes of my brother and sister who live in the country. If it does, no one will have a problem with what it is doing and the European Union would be happy, which is what is important.

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