Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will not be unkind to the Minister of State because I know he is trying to be helpful. The people have been completely frustrated with Mayo County Council for the past 15 years. They are frustrated with Irish Water. Staff were out two weeks ago and they could not find the source of the problem. They had machinery in there. We can land a man on the moon now and we can fly vehicles all over the world. Surely to God, Irish Water and Mayo County Council can find where this problem is between them. It is terrible that 115 houses are affected. The problem has not been created by the people themselves. The houses do not have sceptic tanks. They are connected to a sewerage system that was put into Claremorris a number of years ago. There is a problem, and it is a serious one. I know the Minister of State will do his best. I will raise the matter again. I ask him to contact both Irish Water and the council. I have been on to Mayo County Council and have been told it is a problem for Irish Water. This is the new line. It is a bit like the Government and the HSE. The Minister of State says he has no responsibility and the council says it is a problem for Irish Water. I do not care who has responsibility. These people are paying their taxes, including the local property tax. Every one of them is out there working hard, picking up their children and coming home. One of them is a manager of a big company in Mayo. He has done a lot of work and paid a lot of money to look into it. He has sent in graphs and has supplied details of the times when the smell appears, yet nothing has been done. I ask the Minister of State to get back to Irish Water. I certainly will contact Mayo County Council again, but as I have said, it is like going to the moon to bring down a sewer from the moon. That is the truth.

See this speech in context