Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

In 1985 a public consultation was carried out in Bantry, my home town, on a new regional water scheme. In 1989 the council had carried out significant works for that scheme in terms of acquiring land and was about to carry out damming in Drumbro, but an underwater lily was discovered by environmentalists and the then Minister of State, Deputy Mary Harney, decided not to proceed with the scheme.

Twenty years later, despite that Bantry is a developing town, I am deeply concerned. A new hotel was built in the town a few years ago and it is difficult to believe that water is drawn from Skibbereen by tanker to facilitate that hotel during peak times. If it happened in another area, there would be mayhem. While the recent cryptosporidium outbreak in part of the water scheme is a matter of deep concern, I am seeking answers on the broader issue of how it is intended to proceed. There were some objections to the regional water scheme. In my view, the local authority made some tactical errors in proceeding with the current scheme. There are court cases pending and certain MEPs brought people to Europe to object to the scheme. However, in 2009, 24 years after the public consultation process took place in Bantry, the water scheme has not been provided for Bantry or the surrounding region. What is the position with it?

I probably would not have raised this issue were it not for the fact that I received a briefing from the local council when it expressed its concern about the cryptosporidium. A particular section of the town's water supply has been cut off and people must queue with bottles and cans for drinking water for domestic use. The situation is probably not as serious as that which occurred in Galway but any incidence of cryptosporidium in drinking water is a major concern. I have not gone public on the issue at local level but answers must be given, especially with regard to when the people of Bantry and the surrounding area can expect the new scheme to be put in place.