Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle and it is great to see him back in the Chair. I thank Deputy O'Connor for letting me go first because I have to go to another engagement. My first point concerning Irish Water and its policy is that the process of transferring workers from county councils to Irish Water is currently under way. In County Tipperary, definitely there has not been enough consultation, if any, with the workers. This will have a major impact on and represents a huge change for these workers. It will also impact their promotional prospects. They are concerned that they will be put into a straitjacket in Irish Water and not have the same variety of promotional opportunities or terms and conditions of work as they have had heretofore with the county council. I urge Irish Water to immediately get into consultation with the workers and their representatives to ensure these workers are satisfied and getting the same terms and conditions in Irish Water as they have had heretofore with the county council. I refer as well to their promotional prospects also being recognised.

I also wish to bring to light an issue raised with me today concerning a small estate in Tipperary. It commenced in the 2008-09 era and was then left unfinished for several years. Thankfully, the eight houses in this estate have now been finished. The underground works, the water and sewerage, were done prior to 2015. This means Irish Water is insisting that these works be dug up, renovated and replaced with new infrastructure. Granted, the conditions Irish Water demands from housing estates have changed since 2015, but surely it makes no sense to go back in to dig up infrastructure that was compliant when it was put in prior to 2015. It would mean this estate cannot be completed. It will be left unfinished, with houses lying idle when we all know how badly we need them.

I spoke to the county council about this issue this morning and this is not the only estate where this is happening. Developers have seen an opportunity to finish off estates left lying idle for several years and to sell on the houses, but Irish Water is putting obstacles in the way of this happening. I would, therefore, like to see this matter examined. If conditions attached to putting in infrastructure projects prior to 2015 have been met, they should be recognised as fit for purpose today.

Turning to waste treatment in my town of Thurles, the sewerage and wastewater systems are combined. This caused serious flooding three years ago. Irish Water has said that it will put the proper infrastructure in place, but it is talking about 2029 in this regard. This is not satisfactory, and other towns are in the same boat. This work must be brought forward and completed as quickly as possible in all these towns.

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