Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

That is precisely the response that I did not want. I know it is Irish Water's responsibility but there seems to be some confusion. The Minister of State says it is all Irish Water's responsibility but I know that Cork County Council is responsible for desludging, for example, so there are grey areas. When it affects people's quality of life, at what point can the State intervene if Irish Water continually fobs off communities? I said it was affecting people's lives, which this included not being able to take children out during lockdown. Some might be at the stage of wanting to move and their house prices are affected.

We need greater transparency around how projects are prioritised as funding becomes available. Shannonvale has been an issue for years.

We have been in contact with the EPA which, as the Minister of State noted, has responsibility for this too. It is appalling for the local community that this has not been resolved.

Can we have clarity on how funding is prioritised? The Minister of State said the project was on the next capital grant list. Is that guaranteed? When will it happen?

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