Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Amid all of the consternation around water charges and the establishment of Irish Water, I would like to take a step back. The regime for the delivery of water and sewerage infrastructure that existed heretofore under local authorities with direct funding from the Department did not benefit rural Ireland. During my time on Mayo County Council, the large population centres, such as those along the east coast, received water and sewerage schemes and, accordingly, State investment while country areas lost out on schemes. Those that were delivered arrived slowly because they were not commercially viable. In common with other rural county councils, Mayo County Council could not achieve a "polluter pays" contribution because we were operating on a low rates basis. Planning levies were also limited, unlike in larger areas that saw significant levels of development and growth.

Water infrastructure is vital for rural Ireland.

We rely on our tourism industry and much of our lands are environmentally sensitive, yet as we speak tonight - this has been going on for years - raw sewage is flowing into rivers, lakes and bays in my county and other rural counties. Some towns do not have any sewage treatment facilities and raw sewage is being pumped into special areas of conservation. For example, in the town of Belmullet, the Environmental Protection Agency discharge licence will expire in December 2015. Something must be done by that time. Currently, inadequately treated sewage is being pumped into the bay. This area is specially designated by a European Union directive for the protection of shellfish. If something is not done about that, who will be prosecuted and fined if there is a diminution of water quality in this area, which is an offence? Will it be Irish Water? That would cost the State more money, yet we would still not have a solution and new sewage treatment plants would not be built.

I have repeatedly made representations for other towns in my county such as Foxford, Charlestown and Killala. How can such towns and their businesses be sustained and allowed to grow? How can they attract inward investment when they cannot give an assurance of good water quality or supply? They need sewage or wastewater treatment plants yesterday.

Rural Ireland is at a total disadvantage even on the water supply side. Water pipes are so old in some towns that they have melted in the ground, to coin the phrase of the workmen who are out day and night repairing leaks. I have looked down some of these holes and one cannot even see a pipe. We need a plan for timely and systematic replacement of these pipes. That plan should have been produced yesterday, but it was not. That evidence proves the system is not working.

I want to acknowledge mains rehabilitation funding of over €4 million that is coming to my town of Ballina, which has the problem I describe. Every few days workmen are out on our main busy thoroughfare, the N26, fixing leaks, which stops traffic and affects businesses. Houses, businesses and companies do not have any water. This is modern Ireland.

East Mayo needs a regional water supply scheme to ensure water supply for towns such as Bunnyconnellan, Foxford, Swinford, Charlestown, Kilkenny and Knock, along with Balla and Kiltimagh - the list goes on. Those are only the towns identified as being urgent cases. The list has been available for years but nothing has been done.

We are now facing the publication by Irish Water of the two-year water investment plan. I very much welcome the additional €200 million that has been put into that fund to be spent on the infrastructure to which I refer. However, I hope it will be fair to rural Ireland because what has been going on to date has not been fair in that we do not have the infrastructure I have described. Many people have been patient with the changes, but we need to see equal treatment for the country, as much as for the city areas and the infrastructure, delivered in a timely manner. Irish Water should not make decisions based on return on investment, which more often than not will see rural areas lose out and the big urban centres gain. This will be the test for it, and I look forward to seeing a comprehensive plan that will address the problems in the area I represent.

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