David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle and his office for selecting this matter this evening, and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, for being here to respond to it.

There is a major problem affecting the water supply for almost 10,000 people in east Cork. It is impacting areas south-east of Midleton such as Ballinacurra, Cloyne, Aghada, Ballycotton, Churchtown, Trabolgan and all rural areas in between. This problem has been there, on and off, since January 2016. Boil water notices have been put in place in those areas for varying periods of between two weeks and several months, and the notice that is currently in place has been there since October 2022. This means residents cannot rely on their water supply. Up to 10,000 customers are affected. They have to spend between €1.39 and €1.49 on 5 l of water from local supermarkets. This adds up to a minimum of €16 per month for a recommended consumption of 2 l of water per day and a minimum of €64 per month for a family of four. That is just the cost of buying the water. It does not include the cost of boiling water as well. These numbers highlight the urgency of the matter. In fact, the price of water has increased by almost 10 cent for 5 l since I last raised the matter as a Topical Issue on 15 December 2022. In the meantime, affected households continue to either boil their water or else bear the cost of purchasing plastic water bottles, which adds to the overuse of single-use plastic bottles, something the Minister of State and I do not like to see happen. He will appreciate this is adding in a major way to household costs and adding to the proliferation of single-use plastic.

While Irish Water put in a new filtration system with two microfiltration units and a UV disinfection unit in 2016 at a cost of more than €1 million for both, this has not yielded the desired results and boil water notices have continued to be issued. Irish Water has recognised the need for a major upgrade to the water treatment plant in Whitegate and it has outlined a timeline for construction to commence in 2024, with the plant expected to be completed in late 2025. I appreciate that on 20 January this year, planning permission was submitted for the wastewater treatment plant in Whitegate, but we have yet to see any further updates in this regard.

I understand that, despite the cost involved to families, there currently is no form of compensation mechanism, although businesses in the same situation are entitled to a discount on bills, which is applied automatically. I believe we need to look into compensating the families as well.

Another issue that has arisen recently relates to the regularity of updates on the Irish Water website. While the last boil water notice was issued in October 2022 - and has not been lifted since - there has been no further information issued since 16 March. Residents in the area, my constituents, are anxious to learn if there have been any improvements in the interim. All of this is adding to local household costs and increasing concerns ahead of the summer months when water consumption is expected to be at its highest. I would like the Minister of State to specifically discuss the issue of compensation for said households in east County Cork and the possibility of lifting the notice. Heavy rain causes turbidity in the water, which I understand, but there has not been rain for quite a while. Neither has there been an update from Irish Water with respect to when it expects this to be lifted. The costs and inconvenience to people having to drag water into cars, drive to shops to buy it, bring it back and so on has been going on for months; in fact, it has been going on for years in this particular area. People are losing patience.

I look forward to hearing what the Minister of State has to say. Perhaps he will have some information and may go back to his colleagues in government. While I do not expect him to tell me tonight that he will compensate families, it is something the Government could consider, bearing in mind the stress, problems, inconvenience, cost and pollution this is causing.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Deputy raised an important and ongoing issue that has persisted for some time and is of great concern to the local community in Whitegate. The Deputy will appreciate that the operation of the Whitegate regional public water supply is a matter for Uisce Éireann, which 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, EPA, as an environmental regulator, is responsible for setting quality standards and enforcing compliance with EU directives and national regulations for the provision of drinking water.

I understand from inquiries made with Uisce Éireann that the boil water notice currently in place for the Whitegate public water supply was issued on 29 October 2022 following consultation between Uisce Éireann, Cork County Council and the Health Service Executive, HSE. This boil water notice, which remains in place today, was issued to protect approximately 9,500 customers in Whitegate, Aghada, Churchtown, Ballycotton, Saleen, Shanagarry, Ballinacura and areas of Cloyne. The notice was issued as a result of increased turbidity, as the Deputy said, in the raw water, which can happen at source as it is susceptible to raw water quality issues after rainfall events. I understand it is a karst limestone area and is particularly susceptible to issues of turbidity. Boil water notices have been issued on Whitegate public water supply a number of times over the past few years. I appreciate the Deputy's comments about not receiving an update from Irish Water since 16 March, which I note.

The operation of Whitegate public water supply is a matter for Uisce Éireann, which has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. I understand that in the short term, upgrade works are complete and Uisce Éireann hopes to be able to lift the boil water notice in June. However, the raw water supply remains susceptible to weather-related changes in turbidity, which will be addressed once the new plant is operational. As always, public health is Uisce Éireann's number one priority and there is a possibility it may have to reissue the boil water notice if the raw water quality deteriorates or there is a spell of adverse weather. The cloudy, opaque look of turbidity is a visual indicator of water quality. It must be taken seriously.

In the longer term, the delivery of a new water treatment plant as the permanent solution to issues at Whitegate is under way. The project is currently moving through the detailed design and statutory approval stage. Planning permission was granted on 23 May 2023 and the tender process will follow to procure a contractor to deliver construction of the project.

Uisce Éireann has a strong customer service focus through its water charges plan and customer charter, which outlines the standard of service customers should expect to receive. The water charges plan sets out a compensation mechanism when water quality is compromised and unfit for human consumption, such as when boil water and drinking water restriction notices apply.

Business customers who pay charges are entitled to a rebate under the customer handbook as agreed with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU. Adjustments are made via customers’ bills. This only applies to water used for drinking. Implementation of the water charges plan is a matter in the first instance for Uisce Éireann. Any issues that cannot be resolved by Uisce Éireann to the satisfaction of the customer can be referred, under the formal complaints process, to the CRU.

The Department’s priority is to ensure that people’s health is protected and that adequate water is available to all consumers. We all want to see this notice lifted without undue delay but only when the HSE and EPA have confirmed the water supply is safe can we do so.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. Perhaps he will clarify in his final remarks the statement he made that the water charges plan sets out a comprehensive mechanism when water quality is compromised or unfit for human consumption, such as when boil water and drinking water restrictions apply. My understanding is that any compensation or changes only apply to business customers, not to households. The whole thrust of the debate this evening was to encourage the Minister and Government to consider making funding available so people can get some level of compensation. This has been going on since 2016. The Minister of State and everyone here will appreciate the time-consuming nature of this entire process, particularly for households with dependent individuals, whether they be children, older people or people with disabilities. Safe water must never be a luxury. It is a foundation of basic and healthy everyday life.

I previously asked that four areas be acted upon, including the need to deal with the cost to householders, which is important. It is also important to recognise there is a huge inconvenience in this case. Irish Water must be directed to ensure that people are reminded on a regular basis of the boil water notice. There are no signs up anywhere. If somebody new moves into the area, they have no idea there is a boil water notice in place. Another area is the need to engage with Irish Water to see if anything can be done to rectify the problem before the end of 2025. I will be gone from the House; the Minister of State may also be gone. Who knows? The Ceann Comhairle will probably still be here. It is amazing that it takes that long. Another area is greater openness on Irish Water's part to engage with public representatives. I suggested that Irish Water should make itself available to local municipal district meetings and explain to councillors what is going on and what its plan is to rectify this. There has been very little improvement in these areas since I brought this up last December. The Irish Water website has not been updated to give people information either.

It will take until 2025, yet it has been going on since 2016, which is almost ten years. Perhaps we should bring the Chinese over to get the job done; they seem to get work like this done in months. This is becoming urgent. At the very least, householders should be compensated for the added costs on their livelihoods as we cannot ease their hardship, it seems, before 2025.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The points the Deputy raised are valid in terms of consumers having to buy bottled water, the plastic waste that creates and the fact that sometimes bottled water is not of great quality, as well as the uncertainty. I will convey the points he raised about communication with Uisce Éireann. It is not acceptable that there are no conspicuous notices and the website needs to be updated regarding boil water notices. The Deputy will appreciate that the compensation is for business customers as they are particularly put out, especially coffee shops, restaurants and bars, for example, which is why the scheme exists. I will also convey the ask set out in the question about compensation for consumers. It is a matter for Uisce Éireann and its water charges plan but I accept that almost 10,000 people have been badly affected and put out by having to buy bottled water daily. It is difficult when people have young babies and use baby formula; it is a huge inconvenience. Thankfully, Uisce Éireann is dealing with it through the investment Government has made over the last few years. We see fewer and fewer boil water notices but we must eliminate them completely, which the Government is committed to. I take on board the points the Deputy made and will convey them to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and, in due course, to Uisce Éireann.