Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I assure Deputy Buckley that we will have an honest answer for him. I thank him for raising this very important matter. This is an issue of both national and local importance and I fully appreciate the concerns of the 10,000 people in the Deputy's community whom he referenced.

The Deputy will appreciate that the operation of the Whitegate regional public water supply is a matter for Irish Water which, since 1 January 2014, has had statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. In turn, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, as the environmental regulator, is responsible for setting quality standards and enforcing compliance with EU directives and national regulations for the provision of drinking water. However, from inquiries I made directly with Irish Water, I understand that the boil water notice currently in place for the Whitegate public water supply was issued on 25 December 2021, Christmas Day, following consultation between Irish Water, Cork County Council and the Health Service Executive. This boil water notice was issued to protect approximately 9,500 customers in Whitegate, Aghada, Churchtown, Ballycotton, Saleen, Shanagarry, Ballinacura and areas of Cloyne.

The notice was issued as a result of increased turbidity in the raw water, which can happen at this source as it is susceptible to raw water quality issues after rainfall events. Boil water notices have been issued in respect of Whitegate public water supply a number of times over the past few years. Upgrade works to the filters began in January 2022 and these works are still under way. To complete the upgrade works, additional parts are required. These parts have been ordered from abroad. Due to the global issues with supply chains, delivery is not expected for a few more weeks. When these parts are delivered, and provided that installation is successful, a further two to three weeks of compliant operation will be required before discussions take place with the HSE regarding the lifting of the boil water notice. The current estimate for completion of these works is May or early June.

The delivery of a new water treatment plant as a permanent solution to issues at Whitegate is under way. The purchase of land is progressing and the project has been handed over to Irish Water's asset delivery team. Depending on planning and construction constraints, it is anticipated that construction could start in 2024 but completion of this permanent solution is a few years away, as we can appreciate.

My Department's priority is to ensure that people's health is protected and that adequate water is available for all customers. We want to see this notice lifted urgently and without delay, as the Deputy quite rightly points out, but only when the HSE and EPA have confirmed the water supply is safe after these works have been carried out, which we expect to happen shortly. Additional information and advice in respect of boil water notices is available on Irish Water's website.

Both our water and wastewater systems require substantial and sustained investment to bring the systems up to the quality and resilience standards required of a modern service, to provide for population growth and to build resilience in the face of climate change. As part of budget 2022, funding of over €1.57 billion to support water services was allocated. This includes €1.459 billion, comprising current expenditure of €629 million and capital expenditure of €830 million, in respect of domestic water services provision by Irish Water. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and support a wide range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area, making a significant contribution to addressing Ireland's needs.

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