Seán Conlan (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is an important issue and it has been ongoing for many years. The report in the newspaper last Sunday did us a service because it highlighted the fact that the samples taken at Lough Muckno near Castleblayney, County Monaghan, were over 8,000 times above safe limits.

If there are carcinogenic toxins contained in the water supply we should not have to rely on a newspaper to provide us with that information. The EPA should be undertaking daily tests until the problem is resolved and the people responsible are dealt with.

People are fearful about the effect this is having on their families and health. It is not a new problem; it has been ongoing for many years but it has not been tackled or dealt with to date. It is important, therefore, that daily tests are carried out and proper information is given to the public. The public are scared at the moment and they do not know what is going on. Save for the information supplied in the newspaper report we would still be in the dark about the level of toxins in the water. According to reports, some of the toxins cause heart malformations in children and premature delivery. These are serious issues.

There are approximately 10,000 people in the catchment area in south Armagh area and a further 40,000 people in the Dundalk area directly affected by the pollution in Lough Ross and the Fane river. Furthermore, Lough Muckno is a major amenity in the area and an area of natural beauty in Monaghan.

People are concerned. Acid sludge is being dumped alongside riverbanks in containers on a regular basis. It is costing the county councils in Louth and Monaghan vast amounts of money to deal with the problem. The lack of information provided to the general public on the level of toxins in the river and the water supply is concerning. Immediate action should be taken by the EPA to provide information to the public on a daily basis. If there is a discharge into Lough Muckno, Lough Ross or the Fane river it will have an immediate effect on the quality of the water supply. We need updated information on a regular basis from the EPA. The agency must get on top of this problem, find out where it is coming from and determine the source. Action needs to be taken by the authorities on both sides of the Border to deal with this matter immediately.

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