Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy. It is certainly not the case that we are talking about decades. We cannot take decades. It has to be resolved. Irish Water has plans in place for the 32 areas that were assigned in the EPA report. Those plans will be brought forward. The Government has brought in record investment over the past number of years. We are front-loading that investment. It is critically important we do so from a human health perspective, a biodiversity perspective and with regard to development of these small urban settlements.

If there are specific issues, which I know the Deputy has brought to the attention of the Minister, we will certainly work with Irish Water on them. The Minister has been deeply committed to ensuring that we achieve these targets and to holding Irish Water to account to ensure it will meet those targets. We accept there has been historic underinvestment by successive Governments but that investment is being addressed. The structural issues around Irish Water and the establishment are being addressed. I have a hand in the river basin management plans. We have to make sure that we get these water bodies up to a good standard. It is critically important, from all of these perspectives, that we address the issue.

I am aware of the issues around Clonakilty and other parts of west Cork that have to be addressed and which may have come under increasing pressure, especially during the tourism season in the summer months. Capacity has to be built in and future-proofed. We will continue to work with Irish Water on that. The EPA report is very useful in highlighting where the challenges. We are confident that Irish Water has the capacity and the ability to address the challenges, especially for these smaller settlements, which are equally as important as the Ringsend plant or those in any of the larger urban settlements.

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