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

I do not apologise to anyone for raising this matter today. Irish Water will state that it is only obliged to bring its existing treatment plants up to an acceptable standard. The company will tell me, others and the local authority that it has no obligation to build new treatment plants. That is where we are. I ask the Tánaiste to talk to Irish Water about that. He is the Tánaiste of the country and Deputy Eoghan Murphy is the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.

How are people in places like Kilcummin, Scartaglen and all of the places I named previously going to prosper? How are they going to build houses if there are no sewage treatment plants? That is a fact. Caherdaniel and Castlecove welcome thousands of tourists every year. Tourism is the only business in the area and these places do have not have treatment plants. The local authority tells us that there is no obligation to build new treatment plants, only an obligation to bring the ones in place up to an acceptable standard. At the same time, the plants in Kenmare, Glenbeigh and even Killarney need to be upgraded. There is a lack of funding and a lack of will to ensure the provision of vital infrastructure that is so badly needed in our county.

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