Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am on record as saying that I would have much preferred for a general election to have taken place when the previous Taoiseach resigned. However, I wish the new Taoiseach luck in his role. There is no shortage of issues in front of him at this time.

I raise the ever-present issue for many elected representatives of problems in our dealings with Uisce Éireann. Lately, I have been dealing with issues locally in the likes of Tom Bellew Avenue in Dundalk. I will not to go into the details of the problem with a valve, which we are told will be replaced at the end of June. The valve can sense when demand fluctuates and this impacts on water pressure when people use their showers and all the rest of it. I will be getting answers at some stage regarding other estates where residents have the same issue. We are told there is no problem. I could also talk about Bay Estate in Dundalk. I have raised multiple issues. After the flooding, we asked about the drainage area plan and I submitted multiple questions. I am asking for the Taoiseach's aid in this matter because, unfortunately, there has been a refusal to have a meeting. Uisce Éireann keeps telling me to use its email address for elected representatives.

That is not good enough. I have had reports back from the company and have questions. I would be forever following up with my secondary questions, so I need to have a meeting with the company. I have asked the chief executive for one in the past while. I will give one of the answers I have got on my own estate, Bay Estate. It claims the estate is in a very poor state of repair, with frequent blockages, and prone to groundwater leaking into the network. It adds that it is proposed to undertake surveys first and then follow up with rehabilitation works under the infiltration reduction programme. However, I have major questions on capacity with respect to dealing with floodwater and wastewater, and I really need a meeting.

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