Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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For more than a year I have been receiving complaints about dirty, discoloured water. Before Christmas I put out a call asking people to contact me or my office if they have issues with discoloured and dirty water. Hundreds of people in Cork contacted me to say that they have had discoloured and dirty water for months, on and off. Before Christmas I met with Uisce Éireann. I was disappointed that no Government Deputy was at the meeting to hear what was going on, because I told them the reality that my constituents were facing. Some €40 million was spent on developing a new water treatment plant on the Lee Road in Cork. That was turned on more than a year ago and the water is now worse than it ever was.

How is it possible to spend €40 million and have worse and undrinkable water afterwards? This is 2024, and today alone, I was contacted by people in Blarney Street, Blackpool, and Ballyvolane who told me their water is still dirty. It is still unclean. This is drinking water we are talking about. A man contacted me and told me his mother had dementia and he found her on a number of occasions drinking discoloured water from the sink. There are vulnerable people, such as people who are blind or who might have limited sight. There are other people who tell me about the damage done to their showers, their washing machines and many other things. In all fairness, how is it possible in this day and age? Will the Minister of State contact Uisce Éireann to put a solution in place to sort this?

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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When are my constituents going to be able to turn on their taps and not be fearful that orange water will come out? When are my constituents going to be able to turn on their taps and there not be a good chance that brown, discoloured, or dirty water will come out? When is Uisce Éireann going to stop making excuses about this situation and set out a plan for solving this problem? When is the Government going to stop standing idly by and do something to sort this mess out? I will keep going with a few more questions. When are my constituents going to stop having their laundry ruined by discoloured water? When are my constituents going to stop having their washing machines wrecked by discoloured water? When are people in Cork going to stop having their dishwashers ruined by discoloured water and when are people going to be able to stop spending €20 a week, €1,000 a year, on bottled water in a cost-of-living crisis because they are nervous about what is coming out of their taps, especially for their kids?

The Government has three Cork Ministers at the Cabinet table. Micheál Martin has been very quiet about all of this. Simon Coveney has been very quiet about all of this. Michael McGrath has been very quiet about it as well. It is not just me who is asking these questions. Thousands of my constituents are asking the very same questions. This is an election year and the Minister of State and his Government would want to start providing a few answers to my constituents very damn soon.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí as ucht an cheist seo. The Cork city water supply is a really important issue and we appreciate the concerns being raised by both Deputies on this and regarding having to buy bottled water and regarding the discolouration issue. It is something that is affecting communities in Cork and we are conscious of that.

As part of budget 2024, the Minister secured funding of €1.6 billion to support Uisce Éireann in the delivery of water services. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services. The national development plan commits to almost €6 billion in capital investment to be undertaken by Uisce Éireann in the period from 2021 to 2030, of which more than €4.5 billion will be voted Exchequer funded in respect of domestic water services. This sustained investment will improve capacity, performance and particularly the resilience of water services, which is something we all welcome.

Uisce Éireann has acknowledged that the water services in Cork City are not meeting the standards customers rightly expect, especially in light of the significant investment in the water infrastructure in Cork city over recent years, which has been mentioned by Deputy Gould. Uisce Éireann has informed me that there are approximately 600 km of water mains in Cork city, approximately 507 of which are old cast iron pipes and are up to 100 years old. Due to the age and deteriorating condition of the pipes, they are prone to bursts and leakage. In old cast iron mains, sediment can become dislodged during repairs or upgrade works and can occasionally be carried through to customers’ taps, leading to water appearing brown or orange. Uisce Éireann is committed to carrying out all necessary works to reduce instances of discolouration of drinking water, and as a result of the work carried out to date, there is a downward trend in reported cases. Uisce Éireann continues with works to flush the network in targeted areas across the city, and areas are prioritised based on customer feedback and reports received by the Uisce Éireann customer care team. This work involves isolating small sections of the network and flushing them. Since the beginning of January, Uisce Éireann engineers have been on the ground in numerous parts of the city. I will provide the list shortly of the areas on which they are working.

The current freezing temperatures can impact on water pipes, causing bursts that lead to discolouration. It also limits the flushing that can be carried out due to risks posed to icy roads and footpaths by flushed water. Uisce Éireann is focusing its efforts on flushing in areas where water mains have burst, including the Douglas Road area, to ensure continuation of supply and limit impacts of discolouration. Uisce Éireann continues to closely monitor reservoirs and the water network that supply the city. Reservoir cleaning was carried out in November and there was a subsequent improvement in water quality. Testing and analysis of the water supply is continuing, including extensive monitoring across Cork city’s water network, to ensure water is compliant with drinking water regulations and is safe to drink. The results of these ongoing tests are shared with the Environmental Protection Agency and the HSE.

I will give a list of the areas in which there has been mains flushing since the start of January this year. These include Greenmount Avenue, Industry Place, Kevin Street, Ballinderry Park, Liffey Park, Silverheights Avenue and Road, Merrion Court, Liam Healy Road, Knockpogue Park, Delaney Park, Rathmore Place, Sarsfield Terrace, St Joseph's Drive, Dublin Hill, River Towers, and Hillcrest Rise. I am sure these are all the areas to which both Deputies are referring, so it is a matter that Uisce Éireann is working hard to try to resolve for the residents affected.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister of State named out areas and I will give a few more. Ballyvolane and Gurranabraher have had a problem for more than a year - 15 months. People in Ballyvolane have sent me photographs of filthy water. You would want to see what is coming out of people's taps. The Minister of State mentioned a couple of areas such as Dublin Hill. I was contacted by a resident in Dublin Hill today or yesterday and I was also contacted by someone in Blarney Street earlier on today because I told people I was raising the issue in the House. It is not good enough. Uisce Éireann is not doing its job. Millions are being spent and the quality of the drinking water is affected.

I live on Cathedral Road and my neighbours are telling me they cannot use the water. They cannot have showers in the morning before they go to work or college. I know of a pensioner in Dublin Hill who has to get water delivered because she cannot carry it up the hill. She does not trust the drinking water. We have families who have to get bottled water for their kids because they do not trust it. Even when the water is clean, people have told me it does not taste the same. I have been on to the EPA and the HSE-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Deputy. The time is up.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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This is a very serious issue and I have no faith that Uisce Éireann is dealing with it.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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On 8 January, a motion was put to Cork City Council calling on the Government to abolish Uisce Éireann and to return control of water services to the local authorities. That motion was passed by 13 votes to 9, with even some Government councillors voting for it. Privatisation of water services has proved to be a disaster in Cork city. Uisce Éireann allowed a private company to build, design and operate the new Lee Road waterworks. Some €40 million was spent on the project and the water supply is now worse than ever.

Two things need to be done. First, Uisce Éireann and the Government need to outline a plan with a clear timetable of how this problem is going to be sorted out and they need to communicate that plan clearly to the people of Cork. Second, the privatisation of water services needs to be reversed; not in ten or five years' time but in 2024 before more damage is done.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I will say two things to both Deputies. First, our water supply, network and services and Uisce Éireann form a public utility that is in public ownership. It is not privatised. We consistently hear this argument in this House.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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It is contracting out to private, for-profit, contractors.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please stop interrupting, Deputy.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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As the Deputy well knows, DBO contracts to put in place water services are contracts with Uisce Éireann.

Uisce Éireann is a publicly-owned utility. I moved the legislation in this House myself to ensure that it is a public utility. Whatever about the motion in Cork City Council-----

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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It is contracted to private companies.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please, Deputy.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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That work has to be carried out.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Minister, do not get involved.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I will just say that.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Minister, please do not get involved.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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It is a publicly owned utility.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Minister, please do not get involved in a one-to-one with the Deputy.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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It is important to say that.

Second, I will say-----

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Backed up by the banks.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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-----in relation to the issues, if there are other areas I have not listed in my opening contribution to the Deputies, I ask that they bring them forward to us. I will absolutely bring them back to Uisce Éireann. It is the intention of Uisce Éireann to resolve these issues. When the water is clear, municipal water is of the highest quality and highest standard and the vast majority-----

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Not down in Cork.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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-----of our public supplies are of good quality and far better than a lot of bottled water people are purchasing. I will say that as well.

It is Government's objective to ensure that we fully fund Uisce Éireann to carry out its work and meet its requirements in delivering safe, potable water to people.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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When will this be solved?

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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All I will ask is that the Deputies bring forward areas that have not been resolved by Uisce Éireann-----

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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You are waffling.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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-----and we will bring them back to Uisce Éireann.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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We need a date. I do not think it is unreasonable to look for a date for when we will have clean drinking water in Cork.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is unreasonable when the Minister of State does not possess a magic wand whereby he can say-----

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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He is the Minister. If the Minister cannot tell us when we will have clean water-----

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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It has been a year and a half now.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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As the Deputies may learn in the future, being a Minister does not confer infallibility on you either.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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No, but it is important that the job is done properly.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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What I am giving is a commitment that we will take this to Uisce Éireann. If there are any other issues or other areas that I have not mentioned here that Uisce Éireann is working on-----

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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That is not what we are looking for.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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-----the Deputies should please bring them to us, and we will bring them back to Uisce Éireann.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Minister of State very much.