Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise the ongoing boil water notice impacting on people in the Macroom, Carrigadrohid and Canovee area. It has been in place since last August. There was a short reprieve and, bang, it was down again within five days. That is putting pressure on local residents, who have to boil or buy water, for a prolonged period.

Last night I met Siobhán, who outlined her fear at not being able to trust the water and not being able to wash a head of lettuce or brush her teeth. She cannot depend on the quality of the water; she has to boil it. Others have to buy bottled water and there is a cost associated with that. This goes on and on.

This is not a recent development. It is a situation we saw each winter in recent years. Last winter, the boil water notice lasted about seven weeks. The winter before that, it was closer to ten weeks. There was a boil water notice before that as well. That is an ongoing cost, stress and hassle for residents. They are asking reasonable questions about what Irish Water is doing to deal with this and what the solution is. Will this go on forever?

The communications with Irish Water are poor enough. I give it credit for the text system that is now set up so that residents are made aware when a boil water notice comes in. Yippee, you know when you are being hit. The answers we want from Irish Water concern the pathway out of this, what it is doing to resolve it, what steps are being taken and when people can depend on the water quality in the Canovee, Carrigadrohid and Macroom area.

We are aware of steps taken in previous years. Last winter, a UV filter was installed to give them greater faith in their water-testing capability. Despite that, a boil water notice came on this August. Typically, the notices we have unfortunately been seeing were later in the year. Now there is one as early as August as they face a winter, possibly into January, without faith in the water and having to buy or boil it and the cost and hassle that goes with that.

People in Macroom, Carrigadrohid and Canovee deserve some answers from Irish Water. What is it doing to ensure quality, safe water? What is its plan? When can people have faith in the water in the tap? When will they be in a position not to have to buy or boil water? They are reasonable questions and Irish Water should be able to communicate on that. If there is any update from Irish Water, we would be keen to hear it.

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