Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Cheann Comhairle as ucht an ábhar tábhachtach seo a roghnú le haghaidh díospóireachta. The Pallaskenry-Kildimo community in west Limerick comprises approximately 1,200 homes. For 50 years it has had a natural supply of spring water from neighbouring Bleach Lough. Currently, Limerick County Council is attempting to force on the Pallaskenry-Kildimo community a new supply of water from a sometimes heavily polluted source, the River Deal. This means that the supply is heavily chemically treated. Unfortunately, Limerick County Council has resorted to bullying the local community. On Monday this week, a young mother from the community came close to being imprisoned by the High Court. The council adjourned the case until tomorrow and there may be another adjournment until next week. The residents' resolve to protect their natural spring water supply is strong and they will not give up their environmental right in this regard.

Why is Limerick County Council pushing this agenda? The arguments do not add up. Limerick County Council said there was a danger that Bleach Lough might be polluted in the future, but the River Deal is polluted. The council said there may not be sufficient water in Bleach Lough for the community in future. I was on the lake ten days ago and there is no sign of a water shortage. There has not been a shortage for 50 years and it is quite clear that, even with additions to the residential community in the area, there is sufficient water for the future. Bleach Lough and the neighbouring lough beside Dromore Castle comprise approximately 100 acres.

Local residents feel there is a hidden agenda, about which the county council has not been up-front and honest. The agenda may be to take water from Bleach Lough. The Aughinish Alumina plant, which is a major industrial enterprise, has applied for a major extension which will need massive extra water supplies. Residents have noted in the past that the River Deal water supply goes down in summer time. The council's agenda may be to take water from Bleach Lough to supply Aughinish Alumina with the extra water it requires. If so, why is the council not being up-front and honest with the community? It could sit down and discuss the matter with the community without forcing water from a polluted source on residents or joining up the supplies. There has been no genuine consultation. There was some consultation with neighbouring parishes but not with Pallaskenry-Kildimo.

The Kilcornan neighbourhood beside Pallaskenry-Kildimo has had terrible water for many years. The council has attempted to blame the community of Pallaskenry-Kildimo for not allowing the River Deal water in, but that is totally false. I investigated the matter and travelled the route. The council could have supplied Kilcornan with water from Bleach Lough decades ago and could immediately give it water from the River Deal. It is not necessary for the community in Pallaskenry-Kildimo to have this water foisted upon it.

I ask the Minister to intervene in this situation. He should ask Limerick County Council to pull back from the course of confrontation on which it seems to be resolutely set. I read in the Irish Examiner today that in another village in County Limerick, Kilfinney, people are spending a fortune on bottled water every week because they cannot drink the local water supply. Why does the county council not give those people water from the River Deal or elsewhere, rather than imposing a supply on a community that does not want it?

The county council has said that it will bring the water pipe into the village but will not connect it until a High Court action is heard. Why does the council put itself to all this extra cost when the High Court may order a public consultation and maybe at the end of the day the council will not be allowed to join it up? The pipe may be useless in that case. The arguments do not add up. I do not know what the Minister's officials are telling him but he should ignore their advice. I am asking him to intervene directly in this situation. The Minister knows from what he has heard that the people have an absolutely valid argument.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Joe Higgins for raising this issue. He spoke to me privately about the matter. I am used to being pressed by Deputies about the need to put new water infrastructure in place to improve people's living standards and the economic conditions of communities. The situation described by the Deputy is an unusual one, taken against this background. I am particularly conscious that the dispute in this case has been, and will be again, before the courts. I do not want to say anything that will be regarded in any way as prejudicial. The Deputy has raised the issue, however, and will be aware that the elected members of Limerick County Council, who are closer to the situation than either of us, have formally endorsed the new scheme.

The council is the sanitary authority for the area and the work in this case is being carried out under contract to it. The council is the owner of the water scheme the Deputy has described. This scheme is being funded by the Department on the basis that there is an objective need for the new infrastructure to service new areas, to improve the reliability of the supply to existing consumers and to provide a source for a number of group water schemes that have suffered from substandard water quality for many years.

My Department was aware of objections to the decommissioning of the current Bleach Lough source in favour of a new supply. It suggested to Limerick County Council as far back as 2001 that the council should establish what the view of the proposal was on the ground. The consultation meeting referred to by the Deputy was held in November 2002. The Department was supplied with a report about that meeting from Limerick County Council which stated:

8.6% of the people who attended the public consultation and completed the questionnaires were against changing their water supply source, 34.6% had general or no comments and almost 57% required the new water supply source. In total, over 91% of people either had no comment or were in favour of being provided with a new water source because of difficulties experienced with the reliability of water quality, pressure, etc. of their existing supply.

I know that Deputy Joe Higgins has some views on the process and he has mentioned these to me. However, I was told that at least some of those who are currently objecting were at that meeting and people were aware that it was taking place. In that light and in view of the pressing need for additional water capacity to facilitate development in the area, the capacity limitations of the Bleach Lough supply, its vulnerability to pollution, and the position of a number of group water schemes that were suffering from serious water quality problems and needed a new source, my Department confirmed to Limerick County Council in May 2003 that Exchequer funding would be available for the extension of the Shannon estuary scheme to Pallaskenry and Kildimo as planned, approved and requested by the council.

There have been references in recent days to the new scheme replacing a community scheme, as if something owned by the community was being taken away from it. In fact, that was my personal understanding until I inquired into the matter. I can now clarify that the existing Bleach Lough scheme is owned, managed and operated by Limerick County Council. It is not a group water scheme. The new Shannon estuary scheme is also owned, managed and operated by Limerick County Council. The water supplied to the local community, whether from Bleach Lough or the Shannon estuary scheme, will be treated to the exact same standards required by the EU drinking water directive. It will be treated by Limerick County Council.

I understand that there will, in fact, be a combination of the two sources, at least for the time being, in terms of the local supply. I also understand that other consumers already connected to the Shannon estuary scheme have consistently enjoyed a high quality water supply which has always been compliant with the quality standards. On the other hand, and despite claims that the council is wrong about the vulnerability of the Bleach Lough source to pollution, I am advised — in fact, I specifically raised this issue — that the intake had to be moved some years ago to take it away from a section of the lough.

As I said at the outset, this is a local issue and it will have to be resolved at local level. I am not particularly anxious to take sides. However, I am appalled at the idea of anyone being imprisoned over a dispute like this. I urge everybody involved to allow good sense to prevail and to work towards a satisfactory outcome. At the end of the day, this issue will be resolved by dialogue and not by court action. Dialogue is the way forward.