Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Shakespeare referred to people who eat fish. I do not think he was a fan.

A contract was awarded to Glan Agua for a €6.1 million water treatment plant in Roscommon on 11 January 2016 to serve the north east Roscommon and Ballyleague regional water supply scheme. On 11 January 2016, Irish Water announced the signing of a contract which will involve an investment of approximately €2.7 million in upgrades to the Kildare town sewerage scheme. On 8 January 2016, the boil water notice on the Whitegate regional water supply scheme was lifted, benefiting 10,000 customers very soon after the problem was identified. On 9 December 2015, Irish Water identified the preferred site for a €30 million wastewater treatment plant in Arklow. On 8 January 2016, it was announced that contracts had been signed for an €18.4 million investment in wastewater infrastructure in Killybegs, Bundoran, Glencolmcille and Convoy. I hope the Opposition is fed up listening at this stage but I could go on until the cows come home. This is only in a couple of weeks.

Notwithstanding the good work carried out by local authorities over the years, this level of work and investment would have been unheard of before Irish Water was set up. Notwithstanding his opposition to water charges and Irish Water as an entity, we have heard the leader of Sinn Féin praise the work of Irish Water in County Louth, a fact to which Senator Brennan will testify. It is a topsy-turvy old world indeed. Talk about having your water and drinking it, to mix a metaphor. The Cooley regional water supply scheme in County Louth has been completed. This has been on the agenda for many years - certainly since I joined Louth County Council in 1999. I often heard Senator Brennan raise it at Louth County Council.