Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I echo the words of the Leader in welcoming the group from the Minane Bridge community alert association.I acknowledge that community alert associations do much good work in society, whether by providing alarms for the elderly or holding Christmas parties, summer outings and weekly meetings. The community garda attends meetings every month. That is an important part of the fabric in Irish society, whether urban or rural. We need to support community alert organisations and other similar organisations. The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring, and his Department have invested a great deal of money, especially in rural areas, to ensure that such organisations can develop. We need to build on the fabric of the structures in place. It is a great pleasure for me to acknowledge and welcome my local community alert organisation because these people do fantastic work in the community.

I turn to a statement on Irish Water made by Senator Humphreys. Irish Water has a national remit and Senator Humphreys raised issues in Dublin Bay. Irish Water is working through issues in many towns and villages but we must reconsider its remit in the smaller towns and villages. There are more than 400 settlements in County Cork but we do not have a strategy or plan to deal with them. There needs to be a coherent plan in order that there can be regional balanced development and all these settlements can develop. A debate on Irish Water would be helpful. It should examine not only the major projects in its pipeline but also the smaller projects in villages and towns because they, too, need to be developed.