Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the further chance to speak.

I have read the EPA report. I read it last year and the year before as well and I share the Minister of State's concerns on the quality of water. He noted a number of counties. In my county of Galway, there are problems in: Oughterard, Ballinasloe, Carraroe, Inis Oírr, Kinvara, Ballinasloe No. 1 - two different schemes for different issues, fluoride, lead and trihalomethanes - Ballyconneely, Portumna and Leenane. The people in those areas are extremely concerned about the quality of the water and I have seen it at first hand. The issue there is that Uisce Éireann will not come in and sort out the problem immediately. I noted that the people of Roscommon, for example, have been on boil-water notice for a long time. There are 15,443 persons dependent on the water supply there and there are 30 supplies across the country on boil-water notices or restrictions. I would contend, as has been alluded to, that the issue there has been a lack of capital investment over the past number of years. It is important to note that the capital investment on water has been cut, from almost €435 million in 2011 to €331 million in 2012.