Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I want to raise the issue of the Barndarrig "do not consume" water notice. I raised it on 20 May and on that day the Minister of State said Irish Water is installing equipment at the water treatment plant which will treat the water, reduce the nitrate compounds and safeguard the water supply. That was very good news because it meant that the "do not consume" notice which has been in place for 213 residents of Barndarrig since 9 February would be lifted. The Minister of State believed at that point that it would happen within a matter of weeks once the equipment was installed.

Unfortunately, we have waited seven weeks to no avail. Irish Water has instead stated it will install monitoring equipment at the site, which is a very different thing from treatment equipment. Treatment equipment will prevent the water being contaminated and provide long-term security of supply whereas monitoring equipment will only indicate if there is a problem. It is essentially just a warning system. Why is Irish Water no longer installing treatment equipment at Barndarrig, as the Minister of State indicated it would? Why is it placing monitoring equipment at the site?

I also have questions about the monitoring equipment. This supply has been under consideration for quite some time. In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, conduced an audit on the supply and identified that it was an area of extreme groundwater vulnerability and at risk for contamination. It identified historically high nitrite levels at the site. I am, therefore, surprised we do not have a continuous monitoring system in place on this site. There was apparently another audit earlier this year when the "Do not consume" notice was first in place in February. At that stage, the EPA conducted another audit and thereafter recommended that Irish Water install a continuous monitoring system. Irish Water indicated it would be in place at the end of April and it is still not in place. There must be questions as to why that monitoring system is not in place because it should be there as standard on that water supply to ensure immediate notification if nitrite levels exceed the recommended levels.

Why is a drinking water safety plan not in place for that site, considering it is an area of extreme vulnerability? My understanding is that Irish Water has 60 sites at which risk assessments are in place and, for some reason, Irish Water has not placed Barndarrig on that list. I ask for it to be placed on that list considering the situation in which it has found itself.

Why is the water not being treated, as was previously committed to? Why is a monitoring system not in place already on that water supply? Will a drinking water safety plan be put in place?

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I know she contacted my office yesterday but, unfortunately, I was in Cork city dealing with a number of issues. Once I got back, I met with the chief executive of Irish Water to raise the issues she quite rightly put forward. There has been confusion on a number of points and I raised those with Irish Water. On foot of my discussions with the company, I can confirm that monitoring equipment is in place at Barndarrig. Irish Water expects to lift the water notice, potentially within the next week or ten days. Irish Water has secured €100,000 to do the capital works that will be required to put in the equipment to prevent and reduce nitrite levels in the water. That work will be commissioned and up and running within eight weeks. We have applied significant pressure to ensure those problems are alleviated for the residents who have been impacted. I apologise to the people of Barndarrig who have had to endure these notices since 9 February, which is a long time ago. It is frustrating for residents and vulnerable people to be going through this.

I understand that Irish Water will use the reservoir and not the treatment plant until the capital equipment is in place. It is possible to top-up the reservoir and ensure the water is safe and fit for human consumption. When the capital infrastructure is in place, which will happen within the next two months, it will treat the water, going forward. I hope those responses from Irish Water will be to the Deputy's satisfaction. Representatives of Irish Water will make themselves available to meet her next week and will arrange a date for that meeting to go through these points. I can understand the frustration she has expressed during the two Topical Issue debates we have had on the matter. I expect the issue to be resolved imminently.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Minister of State. That is positive news and I am sure the people of Barndarrig will be pleased to hear of the progress. They have been incredibly patient and having a "Do not consume" notice during a pandemic has been incredibly difficult. Following our previous discussion, the people of Barndarrig were eager to see the notice lifted so the news is positive.

The Minster of State has said there is monitoring equipment in place at the moment. Will the capital investment be in place in two months or will the equipment be in place in that timeframe? It is good news for the people in Barndarrig if what he said comes to pass. It appears that once the "Do not consume" notice is lifted, all precautions will be put in place so that those people do not have to endure another period of discomfort and difficulty over their water supply. I thank the Minister of State for the information. Will he give me a little more detail on the capital investment and equipment? Will he confirm that treatment equipment is going in? Will he also confirm the timelines?

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy again. I am advised that the capital line is already there so the equipment will be commissioned and up and running within the next two months. That is subject to the HSE agreeing that the water levels are correct, and testing must be undertaken in that regard. I am assured it will happen and that is the timeframe I have been given this morning. Within the next ten days, Irish Water is confident that the water notice will be lifted. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, it is important to have high-quality drinking water for human consumption in the midst of a pandemic. That is what Irish Water is about and why it has significant capital lines behind it this year. Those capital lines are not only to improve the current supplies but also to unlock the considerable development needed our citizens, going forward.

The monitoring equipment is in place and the water is being monitored. The HSE and EPA will be being engaged over the next ten days and, subject to their reports, I hope the water notice will be lifted. The permanent solution will be the capital infrastructure that will be put in place in the next two months.