Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)

Arís eile, táimid ag caint faoi thithe a d'fhéadfaí a thógáil, ar cóir dúinn a thógáil, ach atá á gcur siar mar gheall ar theip leanúnach an Rialtais seo infheistíocht cheart a dhéanamh i mbonneagar criticiúil. Níl aon áit go bhfuil sé sin níos soiléire ná i gcóras uisce dheisceart Chill Dara. Idir 2018 agus lár 2024, thaifead Uisce Éireann os cionn 15,500 gearán ó chustaiméirí i gCill Dara amháin. Sin gearán amháin maidir le soláthar nó caighdeán uisce gach ceithre huaire an chloig. Sa bhliain 2023, tharla briseadh sa tseirbhís uisce i 205,000 teaghlach, an líon is airde ó 2018 i leith, in ainneoin dearbhaithe faoi infheistíocht mhéadaithe agus oibrithe cóirithe áitiúla. Constituents come to me regularly about recurring boil water notices, water with a petrol-like taste and, most frequently, falling water pressure. One woman in Newbridge told me just last week that she has lost water pressure every evening from 5 p.m. until midnight since January and still nothing has been done. That means no washing up after dinner and no laundry. Her two teenage daughters cannot shower after their sports training or when they are menstruating. It is just not acceptable.

To add insult to injury, people are paying plumbers out of pocket just to fix airlocks caused by these interruptions. More than €1.1 million has been spent on this by Kildare residents in 2023 alone. Kildare's water system cannot handle any new developments without compromising the basic rights of those already living there. We all know how urgent the need for housing is. That is why we need real investment in our water infrastructure now, not false promises or spin but the kind of sustained, targeted investment that ensures people do not have to go without the most basic service of all - clean running water.

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