John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I raise this issue not just because of the importance of the water supply to Clogh and Moneenroe in County Kilkenny but also because of the many decades that have passed since this problem first arose. I fully appreciate that there is a manganese issue with the water supply and that works to upgrade the system are ongoing. However, this issue dates back decades. The county council at the time, when it was responsible for the provision of water services, knew about this. Efforts were made with the Department at that time. Following my election in 1997, I continued to raise this issue time and again. Following a recent inquiry dated 12 February, a person from Irish Water informed me that I was told the same thing last August. An immediate plan is needed.

Boil water notices are regularly issued to the communities of Clogh and Moneenroe. They are fed up and sick to the teeth of what they are experiencing. They turn on the water, flush the loo or have a shower and they never know when the water will turn to brown treacle-like liquid. It is absolutely disgusting and it is wrong in this day and age that people are expected to just suck it up and are being told the issue is being dealt with and Irish Water will get back to them.

I ask that the Department insist on Irish Water fast-tracking the short-term solution it seems to have and then move quickly to the long-term solution. Irish Water has told me that the short-term solution will take possibly four years and the medium-term solution will take between five and seven years. Is it not time Irish Water looked at whatever technology is available today, increased funding for the provision of proper, drinkable water to Clogh and Moneenroe and front-loaded the investment to get the job done? This has gone on for far too long and the people in the area are upset, although they tolerate this to a degree.

I cannot understand, however, how Irish Water can continue to introduce boil water notices and not deal quickly with the problems it has. A new source is needed and has been identified. It is not acceptable for the planning stages to go on for so long in terms of the immediate problem and the medium-term solution Irish Water has. I ask the Minister of State to get Irish Water to apply itself to this issue and examine it in detail. It has been looking at the issue for many years. Why is the problem still going on? Why does Irish Water not take immediate action to deal with the problem? Surely this issue is not unique to Clogh and Moneenroe. Surely this type of problem has arisen with water supplies elsewhere and Irish Water can learn from that. If a new water source is needed, it should have been provided years ago.

I get letters from people on this issue. Bottles of the water have been sent to my office. I know what the water looks like. I have been in houses where I have seen it. A person cannot drink it. There are particles in the water. I know Irish Water flushes out the system from time to time, which can also cause a problem. It is not good enough in this day and age, with so much money being invested by Irish Water, that this local community has been left on the long finger. Enough is enough. I am asking the Minister of State to bring forward a longer-term solution in order that this community can, at least, be assured it will have a continuation of quality water supply.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I can imagine how frustrating this process has been for the people of Clogh and Moneenroe, as well as for the Deputy, as a public representative for the area. Obviously, the Minister is unable to be here and I am offering this response in his place. As the Deputy will understand, the supply of public water and the provision of water services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance, as Deputy McGuinness outlined. However, officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have made inquiries with Uisce Éireann on the issues raised and I am informed as follows. Uisce Éireann operates the Clogh-Castlecomer public water supply in County Kilkenny, which serves approximately 3,300 customers. There have been ongoing issues with this supply for a number of years, compounded by several factors, including an old system, a poor water source and elevated manganese levels, all of which the Deputy has accepted. The latter occurs naturally in some water sources and some exceedances can arise from naturally occurring high levels at source.

Following consultation with the HSE, Uisce Éireann issued a boil water notice at this supply on 27 February 2023, one year ago, due to increased turbidity impacting the treatment processes at the water treatment plant. At all times, Uisce Éireann’s number one priority is the protection of public health. Extensive works were carried out at the plant to ensure the boil water notice could be lifted. This was made challenging due to several problems experienced when raw water levels dropped due to high usage and there was a reduction in the amount of available raw water. The boil water notice at the Clogh-Castlecomer public water supply was lifted on 1 July 2023 following the completion of remedial measures and the receipt of satisfactory monitoring results.

Uisce Éireann is working hard to make further progress and intends to continue its investment in this water supply scheme. Since the boil water notice was lifted, a number of improvement works have been completed at the plant, including a thorough cleaning and flushing of the pipework within the plant, ongoing flushing of the water network, the introduction of a new filtration system for treatment in the plant and changes to the filter media and the water treatment process in the plant. In addition to these measures, Uisce Éireann intends to carry out further short-term actions, including the replacement and upgrade of the filter media and cleaning of the river adjacent to the filtration gallery.

In the medium term, Uisce Éireann is progressing a project to make further improvements to the treatment plant within the next one to four years as an interim measure prior to the delivery of a long-term solution. A contractor has been appointed to design and construct works at the existing treatment plant. In the longer term, Uisce Éireann acknowledges the limitations of the existing water treatment plant infrastructure and is pursuing a permanent solution to address the issue. A major new project is required to resolve the historic and ongoing challenges on the scheme with regard to water quantity and quality. This project is being progressed with the completion of a preliminary report for a new water source and a new treatment plant. This is currently being reviewed. It is expected to take a number of years to progress through the relevant statutory and regulatory processes, which include engineering, hydrological, planning, environmental and procurement.

I understand this response will not satisfy the Deputy in terms of the timelines that he and the people of Clogh and Moneenroe, County Kilkenny are seeking but I will bring back to the Minister the points he has raised and continue to keep the pressure on for a speedy resolution to the issue and a speedy delivery of the medium to longer term solution that is needed.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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With respect, that is the same reply I received in 2023 and on several previous occasions prior to that. It is the same as the reply issued on 12 February this year. Will the Minister of State tell Irish Water that 3,300 customers are receiving water that is not just of poor quality; it is not usable? It is disgusting. I have received samples of the water in recent months to show me how bad it is. Will he ask Irish Water to prioritise and fast-track the scheme it is discussing such that it delivers a scheme that will solve the problem not just for now, but for the foreseeable future? That is the least that should be delivered for the people who live in that local community.

The Minister of State read the reply he was given. I have received that reply previously. It is frustrating that we have been receiving similar replies for ten years or more but there is no real delivery on the ground. There are constant complaints. It is a recurring problem. Irish Water knows what the issue is and where the new source should be, yet it is talking about planning for four to seven years or longer and so on. That cannot be accepted. I urge the Minister of State to go back to the Minister and tell him I am not raising this matter for the fun of it, or for publicity, as politicians are sometimes accused of doing. I am raising this issue to ensure delivery of a water system that is absolutely necessary for the local community. The system in place is not fit for purpose. Tinkering with the system and delaying it in terms of planning will not satisfy people. They deserve better. I am asking the Minister of State to, please, bring that message back to the Minister and insist on Uisce Éireann expediting the project to the point of delivery.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I accept Deputy McGuinness's bona fides on this issue and I am a firm believer in the parliamentary process. Notwithstanding that the response I am delivering today is similar to one he received previously, the squeaky wheel does get the oil. If the Deputy, as a Member of this House, continues to raise a matter here, that does have an impact. It is heard by Ministers, officials and the semi-State bodies on which we depend. I will bring back his points to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I will ask him to put pressure on Uisce Éireann to prioritise Clogh and Moneenroe for a speedy delivery of the medium to long-term solutions outlined by the Deputy and referred to in my response, which are needed as quickly as possible.

The Government is delivering a sustainable funding path to further enhance the ongoing significant improvements in public water and wastewater services. Sustained investment through a number of investment cycles is required to address existing infrastructural deficits, ensure compliance with EU directives, accommodate population growth and build resilience in the face of climate change. To this end, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has secured record overall funding of €1.81 billion for delivery of water services in 2024 alone. This funding will support improved water supplies throughout Ireland, including rural Ireland, and a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in rivers, lakes and marine areas. The continued investment in water generally and Uisce Éireann in particular, as the national publicly owned stand-alone regulated utility, will ensure the continued operation, repair and upgrading of Ireland's water and wastewater infrastructure. I again thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.