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

I thank the Regional Group and Deputy Naughten for giving us the opportunity to speak about this very important matter. At the outset I will contradict a comment made by Deputy Bríd Smith to the effect that smelly water is running down the streets of Cahersiveen. She can look after her constituency and I will look after the people of Cahersiveen.

Irish Water is only obliged to keep current schemes up to standard and nothing compels it to build new schemes. Irish Water has said it does not have the money to do it. We were promised a scheme for Kilcummin and after 22 years we will get part of it. There is no scheme in Currow, Scartaglen, Caherdaniel, Beaufort or Cromane. Several schemes must be extended and improved, including Castleisland, Brosna, Kenmare and Fenit. Commercial and housing developments are all held up because of a lack of proper infrastructure.

Water is a basic human right in a civilised world. People who want to get water through a group scheme can end up paying anything up to €13,000 and that is after getting the grant. There is a scheme in east Kerry and each house in it must pay €10,692 to Kerry County Council. Lo and behold, Irish Water is now looking for €2,262 on top of that. We are talking about water but this is what the people must pay in a group water scheme. There are five schemes in mid Kerry, east Kerry, north Kerry and even south Kerry. They are all over the county. We must look at how these people are being charged on the double because it is not fair.

There are antiquated water systems in other places, with pipes breaking day after day. If not for Mr. Freddie Bartlett and his team working day and night to restore water in these places, there would be no water in mid Kerry in places like the board of works road, Pallas and Faha. We welcome 1.2 km of pipework will be replaced on the board of works road but another kilometre must be done and we must get funding for that.

These are very serious matters and I ask the Minister to take this to the Cabinet to ensure infrastructure in Kerry is brought up to standard. The people in Kerry are entitled to good clean water from an uninterrupted source the very same way as the people in Dublin 4.

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