Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter on the Adjournment. It refers to the report from Galway County Council on the upgrading of the pumping and storage facilities of the water system in Loughrea in order that work on the Kilrickle water scheme can be immediately started.

Kilrickle has waited for up to 20 years for the provision of this water supply. The village has approximately 100 houses. There have been various examinations of plans for the supply of water from a source such as the local lake. The existing supply is unsuitable and inadequate. Galway County Council is preparing for the Department a report and recommendation that the upgrading of the pumping and storage facilities at Loughrea can proceed side by side with the provision of a spur to Kilrickle to supply that village.

There are four businesses and a national school in the village of Kilrickle, none of which has an adequate or proper supply. Some of the businesses have to bring numerous tankers of water to their premises to guarantee a supply on a regular basis. The school has a bore hole which has failed on many occasions. The quality of water is totally unsuitable for drinking. The school has 50 children but an inadequate and unsuitable supply of drinking water.

The extension of supply from Loughrea is the only answer. To ensure there is no addition to the 20 years they have already waited, I ask that the Minister of State allow the work continue simultaneously with the development works at Loughrea which is at stage 1. Kilrickle water scheme is at stage 6. I ask the Minister of State to allow the Kilrickle project to be prioritised so it can proceed simultaneously with stage 1 of the Loughrea improvement works.

On several recent occasions because of the significant development that has taken place, supplementary smaller pumps have had to be installed in strategic locations to guarantee an adequate supply of water in certain areas of the town. The local group requests a fast tracking of the report when it arrives on the desk of the Minister of State and the provision of funding for the simultaneous development of the supply of water to Kilrickle and the development works at Loughrea.