Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply but I do not accept or agree with the chronology of events as set out because I also attended meetings with the subscribers to the scheme in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and no indication was given at that stage that the scheme would have to cease. In fact, the participants were most anxious that the scheme would proceed at the earliest opportunity.

I am not trying to embarrass the Minister. The fact is that somebody somewhere made a decision. No one is telling the Minister who made that decision but somebody made it and did so without the authority of the people of the area, who trusted they would be provided with a scheme.

The other issue I cannot understand is that, long before Irish Water was invented, an indication was given to the effect that the local authority and the then Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government together did not want to proceed. I tabled parliamentary questions way back, from 2000 onwards, asking why provision of capital funding towards the scheme was not made by the Department and this was never directly answered. The Ceann Comhairle and I know why it did not happen, namely, the money was spent elsewhere. Somebody somewhere decided and all kinds of excuses have been used since to explain why it could not, and should not, proceed. Excuses were put forward on the basis that it was a rural area and the people had alternatives. I ask that somebody would go out to some of those people to whom I made reference, who do not have a drinking water supply and who would love to know what the alternatives are. They should not be placed in a position where they have to spend their own money after all these years.

I ask the Minister to go to the people who know the circumstances of this situation and demand from them that we hear more about what they propose to do.

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