James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I raise a serious matter regarding the housing crisis, which others have mentioned and which the Government is using all its resources to address. The building of many houses has now started. We would like to see that accelerated. One of the places where a lot of development will take place, because this is where most of the land available to us is, is in Fingal in north Dublin. It has thousands of acres zoned and is well positioned to accommodate this housing need. Planning permissions have been granted for badly needed houses, some of which are being built in the popular town of Skerries. We now have a situation, however, where people have paid up to €500,000 for a new house and find they have no reliable water supply, and I met some of the residents yesterday.There is regularly no water supply at all. It is a sick joke. I use the word "sick" because it is a real health risk. One gentleman is married to another public servant and they have a nice new home. He is delighted to have a future for himself, his wife and young family. They have four children, the youngest of whom is four weeks old. They have had no water supply for seven days in a new house. Another lady whom I have met is undergoing chemotherapy on a regular basis. She has to undergo it again tomorrow. There is also no running water in her house. If she gets an infection, we all understand the catastrophic consequences for her. Another lady without a water supply has a five year old and a three year old. Pensioners are expected to climb into their attics to check that their water tanks are filling. It is ludicrous.

Where is the planning by Irish Water? Does it not know where new houses are being planned or where permission has been granted? Can it not see new houses going up? These newer and many older estates in Skerries are badly affected by a very poor water supply or have no water supply at all. There have been 20 outages in the past 18 months, more than one day per month. In modern Ireland it is a regular occurrence not to have a water supply. New houses have burnt out pumps because people who are out working do not realise there is no water supply. Their homes are being damaged as a result. I ask the Leas-Chathaoirleach to picture a situation where his son or daughter who has worked really hard to save to buy his or her new home in which he or she is living with a young family is sitting in it without a water supply. They cannot even provide the basics of modern life - clean water and a clean environment for their children in which to grow. Irish Water needs to pull up its socks. It is at a crossroads, but it can build a reputation like that of the ESB, of which we are so proud because it rarely lets us down and is admired internationally, or it can be like other organisations which I will not mention, the credibility of which is stretched daily in the public's mind. How will excellent builders who have stayed in business and are building new houses stay in business if they cannot even guarantee prospective customers a water supply in their new homes? This has ramifications across society.

I brought with me a picture of a resident shown in yesterday's edition of the Irish Independent. Is this modern Ireland - in 2018 having to carry water to one's home on one's head? That is totally unacceptable to the people. Will the Leader bring the Minister to the House to explain how he will ensure Irish Water is fit for purpose and outline the capital investment plan for the next three years? I call on Irish Water to address immediately the utterly unacceptable situation in Skerries where families have literally been left high and dry without a water supply for days on end. If it has to do so, let there be temporary local water reservoirs, as in the case of foul sewers, or let it upgrade the pumping system to provide water in all parts of Skerries.