Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Members will agree that access to a supply of safe, clean drinking water is a basic human right. However, householders and business people in Kilreekil having been fighting for this basic right for 30 years. Unfortunately, they are now considering taking a case to the European court, given the failure of successive Governments to address their plight. Approximately 140 homes, a primary school, a pub and a shop must all rely on private wells and rainwater tanks for their water supply, which is not good enough in this day and age. Investment in water infrastructure is now within the remit of Uisce Éireann and I am calling on its CEO, Mr. John Tierney, to ensure the necessary funding is provided to extend the Loughrea regional scheme to Kilreekil.

I have every confidence that Uisce Éireann will successfully address our infrastructural deficits in the coming years. I want it to have that first success in County Galway and to lay down a marker by providing the necessary funding for the Loughrea scheme and to deal with the unacceptable difficulties with water supply in Kilreekil to be addressed for once and for all. I hope the people of Kilreekil will not have to go to the expense of taking their case to Europe. This is a situation that should have been dealt with many years ago. I look forward to a positive outcome to this matter.