Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. Families who find themselves in this situation, particularly those with young children, are very concerned about the quality of the drinking water coming into their homes and they require help urgently. A residents committee from the St. Anne's estate, set up to provide information on this situation to householders, contacted the Minister in January asking if it would be possible for an alternative water supply to be provided to their area until such time as the new pipes have been installed and that all of the water in their area, which had the highest reading of 825 micrograms per litre, be tested. Will the Minister meet the committee from the St. Anne's estate in an effort to set their minds at ease?

Replacement of lead pipes is expected to cost €5,000, which is a substantial amount. Not every family has that amount of money. While I welcome the proposed introduction of a grant scheme, as an income limit of €75,000 per household applies, not every household will qualify for the grant. While I accept that Irish Water proposes to replace all lead piping over a ten-year period, any householder who undertakes replacement of pipes servicing their homes will still face problems from the public side because work in that regard might not be completed for up to ten years. Can the Minister of State provide any reassurance to the families concerned?

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