Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank David and Tríona in Deputy Mattie McGrath's office for the research and work they put in to this Private Members' motion, and Deputy Mattie McGrath himself. I also thank my two colleagues, Deputies Grealish and Michael Collins, for swapping around the time to allow me have my quick say on this matter.

I have been sent here with a clear message from, and on behalf of, the people of Kerry. While other Members have said they do not want to be parochial, I wish to be parochial and to talk about County Kerry and about the towns and villages in Kerry that need existing scheme upgrades or where schemes are non-existent and where they are crying out for a scheme to be put in place and have been doing so for many years. The local authority, Kerry County Council, has prioritised on numerous occasions and costed the funding required to put in sewerage schemes and all the preparatory work in the places my brother has mentioned, such as Caherdaniel, Castlecove and Kilcummin, where we need upgrades or where we have no schemes whatsoever. It is ridiculous.

The local authorities throughout the country are the biggest polluters in any county, quite simply, because of lack of investment. It is not the local authorities' fault. It is the fault of not only this Government but Governments dating back over the years which failed to ensure the proper resources were put in place. The funny aspect of it is that if one goes back over the history, schemes could have been put in place for sums that were not large but now, with modern systems, of course, it involves bigger money.

I, too, was glad to attend at Lough Guitane, where there is a the new water treatment plant which serves big towns up to 50 miles away in Kerry. It is servicing Tralee, Killarney and a massive hinterland. It was great to see that massive investment in Kerry being opened yesterday. It is future-proofed. It will be there for the generations to come.

We need so much more in Kerry. On a day when the Green Party is saying it wants funding for transport to be taken from areas around the country for Dublin, I would say maybe Dublin has enough for a while. Perhaps before Dublin blows up with the amount of money that is being invested in it, people will eventually wake up to what I have been saying for many years that there is a world beyond the Red Cow roundabout. Kerry is at the bottom of the country but, by God, we certainly do not want to be left behind when it comes to investment. We are every bit as entitled to investment in Ballinskelligs as they are in Blackrock. I will continue to say that in such a way that eventually the message will get home and Ministers and taoisigh who are centred on Dublin and who might not think that there is anything beyond the Red Cow realise that there is, and that we are crying out for investment.

We want people to work with our excellent local authority, Kerry County Council, where the engineers and water staff have served us so well over the years. It would be neglectful of me to talk about services without mentioning those who have worked in Kerry County Council over the years. When I say "worked", of course, there are excellent engineers but I want to talk about those who go out on Christmas Day, Sundays and bank holidays and who never open their mouths. When the call goes in that a waterpipe has broken or a pump has given up in a treatment plan, they are the ones who go out and who have served us so well over the years. I say thank you very much to past, present and future staff who have worked in our services in Kerry County Council for their excellent service over the years - it does not cost anything to say that. I remind people that the water would have stopped flowing only for these staff going out. Not too long ago, there was a massive water break in the heart of Killarney town and the water service staff went out. It was such a break that the repairs went on into a second day. They worked through the night and they did not question it. They did not hum or haw. They merely tore at it. Men came with machines and lorries and with shovels and they tore at it and kept going until they ensured that every one of the houses in that entire area had water in the quickest possible time. That type of sterling service must be recognised. When Members in here are blowing about schemes, blowing about this and that and blowing about big money, it is important to talk about the men with the shovels who will go into a trench, dig down and repair a waterpipe and put their heart and soul into it. I thank these people for that.

I want to make sure that in the future when the Minister of State sees the priority list coming from places such as Kerry County Council, he will acknowledge them. I am sorry that I have gone over my time.

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