Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I can hear in the Deputy's voice his sincerity and his wish to have this problem resolved. It is a very basic thing to have a clean supply of drinking water. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, acknowledges the patience and co-operation of the residents and businesses in the Whitegate area who have been affected up to now. As I said in my opening remarks, the Minister's concern is to ensure that people's health is protected. The Minister wants to see this notice lifted without any undue delay but, of course, only when the water supply is again safe to drink. Uisce Éireann is working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure that happens as quickly as possible. Uisce Éireann's primary function is to provide clean, safe drinking water to customers and to treat wastewater and return water safely to the environment. In providing these critical services Uisce Éireann plays a role in enabling social and economic growth, protecting the environment as well as the health and safety of the public.

Uisce Éireann, as a single national utility, is taking a strategic and nationwide approach to asset planning and investment and meeting customer requirements. Our entire water system needs substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to improve performance and resilience fully. Investment will also need to deliver on new water capacity for our growing population and to deal with the increasing impacts of climate change. Prioritising the order of this work and the associated investment will need ongoing engagement between Uisce Éireann and the regulators - the EPA and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities - to ensure an effective and efficient delivery of necessary water quality outcomes and to improve overall water system resilience.

Finally, I should note that Uisce Éireann has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted by email or telephone.

I absolutely agree with the Deputy that no Deputy in this House in his position would not passionately represent their constituents, the people living in their area who are unable to access water or who are forced into paying every week to access something which is an absolute necessity for life. I therefore concur absolutely with him. I will bring his comments to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

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