Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

At the very beginning of the Minister of State’s speech, to which I listened in my office, he mentioned honesty. Of course, everybody else here decided to talk about agriculture afterwards. Honesty is the best policy.

Irish Water, which is responsible for public water services, has not provided clear action plans or timeframes for improving treatment in approximately one third of priority areas identified by the EPA. In light of the recent EPA report on declining water quality, it is crucial to address the Government’s finger-pointing at agriculture while neglecting its own responsibility to upgrade sewerage schemes across the country. Basically, it is pointing the finger at agriculture the whole time to take the pressure off itself.

I have been involved in a community council since 1999, Goleen & District Community Council. Raw sewage has been going into Goleen waters since 1999. There were landowners on whose land it was possible to get work done. Goleen & District Community Council paid for the flying in and worked at that time with the county council before Irish Water took over. Since 1999, we have been waiting to upgrade the system. This State has let the people down 100%, not agriculture or anything else.

I was at a public meeting the other night at which the people of Shannonvale asked me to name it. It is a picturesque, beautiful community that got a beautiful community garden but raw sewage is pouring up around that garden. It is pouring down into the mains water scheme in Clonakilty. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, came down last year. The community was on a list last year; it is off a list this year. It is absolutely astonishing to think that raw sewage is going into the Clonakilty mains water scheme and the members of the community cannot have their children play in the community garden they were given. The scheme is outdated. The community needs a new sewerage scheme but it is not even on a list now; it is coming off a list. Therefore, somebody needs to be held responsible. I am sorry but someone must put his or her hand up in the air and say he or she is creating a cock-up because communities that need to be listed are not being put on a list such that they will know when their sewerage will be sorted and not have to wait for 25 or 30 years without anything happening.

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