Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The small towns and villages growth programme Irish Water plans to develop is in a chaotic state in Tipperary. More than seven villages in the county are on the list waiting for investment, including my village of Newcastle, Golden and Cloughjordan at the very north of the county. The lack of progress on wastewater treatment plants is holding up development. It is also causing huge pollution. The EPA and everybody else is ignoring it. There are regular boil water notices on the Galtee regional water scheme, as there are in Ahenny and the Carrick-on-Suir area. There were also issues in the areas of Dualla and Ballinure during the summer. The town of Clonmel, the vale of honey, is a massive town of 25,000 people with a hinterland. There are boil water notices every second week. A former council official, Jimmy Harney, did a lot of work and progressed to a certain extent a treatment plant to extract water from the river. A landlord is willing to sell a site but it has stalled. Businesses and households are putting up with dirty water, no water and boil water notices. It is a shocking situation.

We also have the privatisation of Irish Water. It was the biggest fiasco of all time. There is also the way the workers are treated. I have mentioned a number of projects and I salute the plumbers, caretakers and all the staff. I pay tribute to the late PJ Cullinan who died recently. He was a wonderful caretaker. The workers are being forced over to Irish Water. They joined the county council and have given sterling service. They want to continue to do so. Today I have heard the parties of the left say the unions are now waking up and finally letting on to be representing their members. I do not think they are. They are in this deal. I hear Government backbenchers speak all the time about utilities companies being set up. We are taking the power away from the local elected officials.

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