Feargal Quinn (Independent)

When we do not pay attention to particular issues, there is a danger that they simply fall off the agenda. Two issues caught my attention in the past week. First, it emerged that Galway County Council is spending €3,000 per week on supplies of bottled water to areas where the water supply continues to be considered unsafe for human consumption. This is the type of issue to which we should give more attention. We do not appreciate our clean water supply until something goes wrong with it. Second, a report has indicated that one quarter of ice samples, mainly in public houses, that were tested by the Food Safety Authority were found to be contaminated with bacteria. These ice cubes are produced from a machine but have clearly deteriorated in some way. These two issues serve as a reminder of how we may take certain matters for granted. It is important to be aware of the problems that exist and the need to address them.