Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his comments. I appreciate that this is a matter of major concern for him, although I understand that he is not just talking about his own community and county, and that this may well be an issue in other areas as well. That said, I assure the Deputy that Irish Water is trying to develop and implement a long-term investment perspective to strategically address significant deficiencies in the public water and wastewater systems. This is a long-term issue that it is trying to fix and when one is trying to fix something that has been broken so substantially for such a significant time, it will take some time to do so. Irish Water is working with all of the local authorities to support housing development as a priority. I assure the Deputy that this is a priority not just for Irish Water but also for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. The utility is implementing its capital investment programme, which prioritises investment decisions to ensure that it utilises available funding most effectively by making investments that deliver the best improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure and services while maximising value for money.

I understand that the upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant in Mitchelstown is currently at the planning and design stage, with construction expected to commence in the latter part of 2019 for completion in 2021. That is the timeline that has been given to me but if that differs to that given to the local authority, I ask the Deputy to inform the Department of same. In the case of Glanworth, I understand that Irish Water’s plans to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant are being advanced as part of a bundle of projects that are due to be tendered for in 2019, after which a definitive timetable for completion will be developed. Irish Water anticipates that the works will ultimately be completed by end of the first quarter in 2020. These projects are a priority for the company and for the Department. If the Deputy or other Members have further queries, they can use Irish Water's dedicated Oireachtas helpline. If what I have outlined is not what council officials have been told, I ask the Deputy to make me aware of that and I will bring it to the Minister's attention.

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