Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is better for my liver and my kidneys. Having said that, it is regrettable that thousands of people who are concerned about quality buy water for drinking. I have reservations about the Bill but have no doubt the Government will push it through and, while there will never be a Utopian situation, in two or three years time 99% of water will be of good quality. There will be an uprising in many areas, in particular in the large urban areas of Cork and Dublin, where water is currently of the highest quality.

The benefits or otherwise of flouridation, however, is a significant issue. I have received hundreds of e-mails saying it is not good for one's health. I am no expert in that regard, but it is an issue which has been highlighted and should not be ignored.

The Government is responsible for bringing forward legislation but will argue that there is an extent to which it is imposed on us by EU directive. Perhaps it is something that should have been done before. We have substantial amounts of water falling in Ireland. We do not have a situation of drought as in Australia which recently saw temperatures of 50° Celsius. We need quality water and fairness in its delivery. While not every Tom, Dick or Harry can get an installation contract, the need to create jobs locally in the areas where projects are rolled out should be borne in mind.