David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I know we are dealing with 12 year service level agreements but Senator Ó Clochartaigh is making an important point about a concern that would be shared by local authorities across the State in terms of how Irish Water will give priority to water projects demanded by local authorities. Some weeks ago a delegation of Oireachtas Members and local councillors met with the director of services with responsibility for water in Waterford County Council. It was to do with a housing estate in Dunhill, County Waterford where the one bore hole that will feed the new housing development had essentially dried up, causing problems with water. On two or three occasions the housing estate was without water. The council had to put in a temporary tank in front of the estate, which is located there now almost on a permanent basis until a solution is found.

When we met the director of services we asked him how the local authority determines the projects that are a priority. As we know, many demands are made of local government, even now in terms of all the different local authorities. There are many demands regarding the water mains schemes, areas wanting to join the mains, repairs that need to be carried out, and systems that need to be upgraded but as Senator Ó Clochartaigh said, rural areas in particular often lose out because of the sheer cost of repairs and so on. The question arises about hierarchy and how Irish Water will determine the projects that are a priority. Those are the issues we would want teased out in advance of a Bill to ensure we know exactly how Irish Water will treat those competing demands from all local authorities. Local authorities will continue to lobby Irish Water on all of the schemes needing to be upgraded, repaired, put in place or whatever. How will Irish Water prioritise all those different schemes once it is centralised? That will be a test of whether this will work in practice. I acknowledge what the Minister said about the 12 year level agreement that will iron out whatever difficulties that might arise but those are the genuine concerns of local authority members. I support the comments made by Senator Ó Clochartaigh on this section.