Dáil debates

Wednesday, 18 September 2024

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

3:25 pm

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Ceann Comhairle’s statement on the bike shed. I understood from discussions at the Business Committee meeting that a party leader here asked for another bike shed to be built in the front yard of Leinster House. Maybe we could get clarity on that.

The situation with Irish Water is just untenable. This was an outfit set up by the former Minister, Phil Hogan, and the Taoiseach’s Government. I know of situations all over Tipperary, but especially in Ballynaraha, Kilsheelan, and in Kilnaneave and Emly, which have had no water in six weeks. A 90-year-old man in Kilsheelan is drawing water with churns and barrels for cattle. It is primitive. It is disgraceful. We cannot get meetings with senior management and we cannot get engagement. I thank Karen Ferris for engaging with me but we cannot get meetings with engineers. They are tinkering around with problems; do not have information; will not meet the people or will not engage with people who know the knowledge, their workers included. It is an untenable situation. We need an urgent debate in the House about Irish Water’s inability to provide water to provide water to people and farms. The situation in the town of Clonmel is appalling. It is in a hollow and should never be without water but it is experiencing ongoing problems with water all the time.

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