Dáil debates

Thursday, 3 April 2025

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Water Services

7:30 am

Photo of Aindrias MoynihanAindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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There is great need to upgrade the drinking water plant in Macroom. The plant in the Castle Grounds supplies water from the Sullane river to over 4,100 people in Macroom and east around Carrigadrohid and Canovee. Boil water notices have been put in place in the area during each of the past three winters. This due to turbidity in the water. This is not just a water quality issue. It is also heavily influenced by the older design of the plant. These boil water notices have been a constant source of difficulty for residents. They either have to buy bottled water or boil water before they use it. There is hassle associated with that, for example, not being able to brush one's teeth or wash a head of lettuce.

These prolonged and repeated boil water notices also undermine confidence in Irish water supply. These notices are extending from four to five months at a time through the winter. Last winter, we saw the longest boil water notice so far at six months. That notice began as early as August, there was a brief reprieve for a week in September and then it was back to boiling the water again until February.

These boil water notices involve a cost and create hassle for residents.

I cannot over emphasise that. As I said earlier, it is also heavily influenced by the older design of the treatment plant and the way it filters the water in particular. In recent winters, we found changing the filters typically leads to lifting the boil water notice. By the way, there are no consequences for Irish Water while a boil notice continues. It does not appear to act with any great urgency either. For example, a freedom of information request from late last year indicated its own technical staff recommended changing the filters as early as last autumn yet it was February before that was done and the boil water notice lifted. Locals carried the cost and the hassle in the meantime.

Irish Water has known for some time that an upgrade on this plant is needed and it is down as part of its capital plan but it appears to be progressing very slowly and there is even a reluctance to share information. It had agreed to a meeting, for example, to discuss the situation last December which has been put off until later this month. There needs to be greater urgency by Irish Water in advancing this new drinking water plant, a plant that would provide reliable, clean drinking water to more than 4,100 people in the Macroom, Carrigadrohid and Canovee area.

Macroom is a growing town especially after the bypass construction. New homes are under construction in Rás An Mhuilinn and in Meadowlands, for example. There is an upgrade under way in the wastewater treatment plant. There will be increased demand on the water network in the town as it grows. The drinking water plant needs to have capacity for future growth as well as the delivery of quality water. It needs to advance with urgency. The current situation is not fair on locals where there is are prolonged boil water notices and the hassle and costs associated with it.

7:40 am

Photo of Emer HigginsEmer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for local government who would like to thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. It is a shame he was not here because were he here he could hear the passion with which the Deputy has spoken on behalf of his constituents. I thank him for bringing this important issue to the floor of the Dáil.

The Deputy will appreciate that the operation of the public water supply, together with operational issues locally are matters for Uisce Éireann, which has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. Under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, neither the Minister nor the Department has operational function in the matter to which the Deputy refers. However, the Minister has made inquiries and is informed by Uisce Éireann that an upgrade of the existing Macroom water treatment plant is planned to commence in the next few weeks. This upgrade will provide critical investment of more than €6.5 million which will benefit Macroom residents and businesses by ensuring compliance with current drinking water regulations, improving the drinking water quality and providing a safer more reliable water supply. The Macroom water supply is included on the Environmental Protection Agency's remedial action list, which identifies water supplies that need improvement. The planned upgrade will address these issues.

The Minister understands that Uisce Éireann provided an update on Macroom water treatment plant directly to the Deputy last month and has committed to continuing to provide updates to the Deputy as the works commence. Uisce Éireann has also committed to providing regular updates to the community and elected representatives regarding the progress of the water treatment plant upgrade.

The Minister welcomes this upgrade of the water treatment plant which, he understands, supplies a population of more than 4,000 across County Cork. The proposed upgrade will address the frequent boil water notices that the people of Macroom have experienced over the last number of years. In addition, Uisce Éireann also continues to progress a major €21 million upgrade to the Macroom wastewater treatment plant to protect the environment and support the long-term sustainable growth and development of Macroom. This project has reached a major milestone with more than 50% of the works now complete.

Throughout 2025, Macroom residents will begin benefitting from the upgrade as part of the new wastewater treatment plant comes into operation, improving the quality of treated water discharged into the river. This year, the old wastewater treatment plant will be decommissioned, allowing the new infrastructure to become fully operational next year. These two projects represent major investment by Uisce Éireann to support the long-term sustainable growth and development of Macroom.

Photo of Aindrias MoynihanAindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for the update. I acknowledge the progress that has been made on the wastewater treatment plant and the works under way there. I will focus on the drinking water and the supply there and the hassle and associated cost for locals who have endured boil water notice after boil water notice each winter. It is essential that those works and the new plant be advanced as quickly as possible. It is positive to hear that the works will be quickly under way. It is unfortunate that it has to be raised here to get such an update. As I said earlier, it required freedom of information requests late last year to extract information from Irish Water. It was not forthcoming. It does not willingly share information. That is a big aspect of confidence and trust in its supply. That needs to move as quickly as possible.

Is a contractor being lined up to carry out the works? Can Irish Water identify who that will be and how quickly they will be expected to be on the ground? We know this project has been on the capital programme for some time. If there is information that they are willing to share, we would be keen to get that. The sooner this new plant and the upgrade are in place for the benefit of the people of Carrigadrohid, Canovee and Macroom the better so that they do not have to face another winter of possible boil water notices.

Photo of Emer HigginsEmer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the Deputy’s frustration about the lack of information from a State body or a body working on the ground. Ultimately, however, there is good news. The upgrade of the existing water treatment plant is a very welcome development for the residents and businesses represented by the Deputy. Uisce Éireann has committed to holding an elected representative briefing to mark this commencement. The Minister has been informed that an invitation will be issued shortly to all those in the Macroom municipal district and a communication on this has been sent to the Deputy directly. That is probably the best opportunity for the Deputy to engage directly with Uisce Éireann to be able to answer the specific questions he has about contractors and when ground will be broken.

With the existing wastewater infrastructure in the village overloaded and out of date, it is really positive that the works are now progressing on schedule to modernise and improve the performance of wastewater treatment in Macroom. The next phase of the project is now commencing. It will bring significant benefits to the communities the Deputy represents and the surrounding areas in terms of growth, health, environmental protection and improved water quality in the river as well. Uisce Éireann has a dedicated hotline and email address. I appreciate the Deputy has had trouble getting information from that. I am glad that there will be a meeting and a briefing set up with Uisce Éireann and all representatives from the area. There have been record levels of investment in water services by Uisce Éireann in the last five years which will continue over the funding period of 2025-2029. The overall investment will deliver significant improvement in our public water and wastewater services. I am pleased the Deputy’s constituents will see the benefits of that.