Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his attendance to take this question. Normally, I would deal with this issue locally but we have been frustrated in our attempts to get a satisfactory resolution from Irish Water. What is the current status of the boil water notice relating to the Galtee regional public supply in County Tipperary? The notice has been in place since 31 October 2019. Approximately 120 properties are dependent on this supply to their homes. Will the Minister of State give a full update on the steps that have been taken by Irish Water on this issue to allow the boil water notice to be lifted and ensure the residents of these properties have a safe, clean and reliable water supply in their homes as a matter of urgency? In exactly 11 days, these households will have endured a full calendar year, 365 days, of being subjected to these conditions. This is not acceptable by any standard. It is appalling neglect and breach of contract.

The boil water notice was lifted for 38 homes in the area. It remains in place on a secondary section of the mains from Kilfeakle to Golden pending completion of remedial works and satisfactory monitoring results. This continues to impact on 80 households. The residents of these 80 homes are frustrated and, in fact, bitter over this long drawn-out saga. It was possible to lift the restriction for the 38 homes following the completion of remedial works, primarily the installation of booster chlorination and water mains scouring, the receipt of satisfactory monitoring results, and after consultation with the HSE. The 80 remaining homes have been left in limbo due to depleted chlorine levels in part of the network, and it is these 80 homes about which I am concerned and why I am raising this issue.

The remaining homes have been thanked, no less, by Irish Water for their patience and told the issue will be rectified in that standard phrase "as soon as possible". They have never been given any indication as to when this will happen. No timeline has been put on it. In the meantime, they continue to boil water for drinking, food preparation, bathing babies and children, brushing teeth and preparing infant bottles and food. Prior to the pandemic these families struggled for more than three months. One can only imagine how much more difficult the struggle has been since the pressures of Covid-19 were heaped upon them. They are under intolerable pressure and inconvenience.

During the remedial works that have been carried out to date, to restore a safe supply to the 38 homes, all households on the scheme were left with no water supply or significantly reduced water pressure. In fact, there was a publicised case of a nurse who was unable to wash her uniforms as a result of the water pressure being too low to operate her washing machine. This is an absolute scandal and is bordering on Third World conditions for these households. I ask the Minister of State for a response.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is one of serious local concern, as he quite rightly pointed out. Certainly it needs resolution.

The Deputy appreciates that the operation of the Galtee regional water supply scheme is a matter for Irish Water, which, since 1 January 2014, has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. In turn, the Environmental Protection Agency, as environmental regulator, is responsible for setting quality standards and enforcing compliance with EU directives and national regulations for the provision of drinking water. However, from inquiries the Department has made with Irish Water, I understand that a precautionary boil water notice for the area supplied by the Galtee regional water supply scheme was issued, as the Deputy said, in October 2019 following consultation between Irish Water, Tipperary County Council and the HSE.

The notice was issued after scheduled network testing identified low chlorine levels in the area between Kilfeakle, Golden and Thomastown, caused by the age of the pipe network in this area. Irish Water, in partnership with Tipperary County Council, undertook remedial works to improve the water quality, including the installation of automatic flush valves and a chlorine booster station in Thomastown. These initial works allowed the boil water notice to be lifted from half the affected area at the start of this year.

Further remedial works are now under way to resolve the remaining disinfection issues in the public supply. The water quality will continue to be monitored over the coming weeks to determine whether these remedial measures have been successful. Once the monitoring results verify the satisfactory residual chlorine levels and that the drinking water quality is in compliance with drinking water regulations, Irish Water will consult the HSE to determine whether the boil water notice can be lifted.

The Department's priority is to ensure that people's health is protected and that adequate water is available for personal hygiene and the washing of hands during the Covid-19 pandemic. We all want to see this notice lifted without undue delay, but only when Irish Water has completed the necessary work and both the HSE and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, have confirmed the water supply is safe once again. Irish Water, along with the relevant authorities, is working to resolve this issue as soon as possible and has advised affected customers to continue to boil water before use to ensure the protection of their health. Additional information and advice on boil water notices is available on Irish Water's website or by calling Irish Water's 24-hour customer care line.

Both our water and our wastewater systems require substantial and sustained investment. In support of this, the Government has committed to ambitious funding of Irish Water's capital investment plans for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure on a multi-annual basis and plans to deliver the €8.5 billion funding package committed to in Project Ireland 2040.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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People generally understand that circumstances can arise in which services are disrupted and that this will result in inconvenience, but ten months down the line, understanding and patience have run out. It is important that this matter be treated with urgency by Irish Water. The families now face into a winter, in the midst of a pandemic, with no proper water supply. This cannot be allowed to continue, from a physical, mental and emotional perspective. The matter needs to be addressed. I accept the Minister of State's response and ask that, perhaps in a number of weeks' time, he have his officials in the Department make contact with Irish Water and seek a progress report to ensure that the matter will be resolved once and for all.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Deputy certainly has my commitment in that regard. He is absolutely correct that it is frustrating, particularly in the depths of a pandemic, that people would have to accept what he outlined. One of the basic components of the sustainable development goals relates to clean water and sanitation, and it is a basic necessity that we provide that.

Irish Water's primary functions are to provide clean and safe drinking water for customers, to treat wastewater and to return water safely to the environment. In providing these critical services, Irish Water plays a role in enabling social and economic development and protecting the environment and the health and safety of the public. Irish Water, as a single national utility, is taking a strategic and nationwide approach to asset planning and investment and meeting customer requirements.

Our entire water system needs substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to fully improve performance and resilience. Investment will also be needed to deliver new water capacity for our growing population to deal with the increased impacts of climate change and to address our biodiversity crisis. Prioritising the order of this work and the associated investment will need ongoing engagement with Irish Water and its regulators, the EPA and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.

I reiterate my commitment to the Deputy that we will continue to follow up on and monitor the issue he raised until it is resolved.