Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am glad of this opportunity to speak to the Minister of State. There are three things I want him to do. He needs to tell Irish Water to sort out the legacy debt and the leak credits for the group water schemes. We have been begging Irish Water to do that for months and years. In addition, the above-ground assets, such as reservoirs and pumping stations, also need to be transferred from the group water schemes to Irish Water. This is very simple and must be done immediately. Irish Water also needs to target the resources on the ground to manage the additional workload to get things done.

I think the Minister of State referred to Newport earlier. It is absurd that businesses in Newport are being asked to pay to pollute Clew Bay. They have to pay the price of not having a proper scheme and then they are forced to pay by Irish Water. That has to stop. Businesses are rightly asking why they should have to pay for water going out. They will gladly pay for water coming in but they want to know why they should pay for water going out in order to do that. This scheme has to be accelerated and, in the meantime, businesses should no longer be forced to pollute the bay.

I am glad the issue in Murrisk seems to be finally coming to a conclusion after all these years. I welcome the fact that hundreds of families in the area may have water by the end of next year. I commend the people in Downpatrick Head. We have been trying to get water for them for more than a decade. People outside Mayo and rural Ireland would not believe what happens in these rural areas in that they do not have something as basic as water. That must be fixed. I also refer to the case of Cleragh, near Kiltimagh, where 34 families have been blocked from accessing a water scheme.

These issues must be sorted and Irish Water, with the Government, has to sort them out. Since Irish Water was set up, however, the Government seems to have taken a hands-off approach and I am fearful of that. The Government is responsible for providing clean water to our citizens and ensuring our bays and communities are not polluted. Much needs to be done in those areas. I commend the group water schemes but we have to lift the debt off them. I ask the Minister of State not to leave this Chamber today and do nothing. These measures need to be actioned. Sinn Féin will follow up on each of them in the same way we have done with other communities. Communities in Mayo and other parts of rural Ireland deserve better.

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