Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister although we already got most of the information he gave us from Irish Water by email in the past few hours.

The core issue is that the Government knows that in Dublin, for example, there is limited excess capacity in the system. The questions most Deputies have asked have not been answered. Why was more notice not given to households in the areas at most risk? What measures were implemented to ensure an emergency supply, particularly for the facilities that needed it? What is the timeline by which we can expect water supplies to return?

I also asked the Government whether it would consider increasing capital investment next year above the amount in the existing Irish Water plan so we can fast-track the upgrading of both our plants and pipes. It is important to note that Irish Water is currently seeking to reduce the number of full-time equivalents in water services by 1,000. If the company gets its way, this would result in 1,300 fewer people employed by 2021. If those people had been taken out of the system before this weekend, how much worse would the circumstances have been? Does the Minister not need to rethink the proposal in light of the strains on the system, as evidenced in the aftermath of Storm Emma?

See this speech in context