Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----have a boil water notice or other restrictions in place. The Deputy left that situation behind him. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that remedial action is required on 16% of supplies for almost 1 million people, including large schemes, such as the Dublin city supply and the Cork city supply. They are badly in need of proper remedial treatment.

There are significant constraints in this city and the Deputy knows what happened in Ballymore Eustace last year put this city on the edge. I got many complaints from restaurant owners, business people and consumers, asking what we were doing about the water. There has never been enough money to invest in it and to fix it. Some 40% of water is leaking through pipes.

We have put in allowances for the different categories. Some 36% of water treatment plants do not meet the needs. Of course, it is not easy on any category, in particular on the unemployed and those with families. Children who are over 18 are treated as adults if they stay or work at home. That is a difficulty but everybody must make a contribution and the Government has tried to make this as fair, equitable and affordable as possible. It is about dealing with the problem which has been around for so long and which, like so many other issues, was swept under the carpet by Deputy Martin's Administration and those of his party.

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