John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and commend my Green Party colleagues on tabling a comprehensive Private Members' motion for consideration. The motion is consistent with the comprehensive water policy commitments set out in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future. The Senators have rightly included the detail of all of those in the motion. Strong progress is being made in delivering on that broad range of water policy commitments. Over the coming years, we will develop, enhance and improve our water services and the protection of water quality by enacting legislation and strengthening investment programmes through Irish water.

The main thrust of the motion calls for greater investment in the quality of our water service systems and in protecting the quality of our water bodies. Since 2014, Irish Water and our local authorities have been working hard on unifying our systems. There are some who question the merits or demerits of that work, but we all agree that having a world class water system that is integrated and has full investment is positive.

The White Paper that the Government agreed to last month charts the future for Irish Water. The Minister of State will agree that, in that context, it is important that the negotiations between all parties be handled delicately and that staff be at their centre. We need to bring people with us on this journey. Along with many other matters, the protection of terms and conditions must be achieved. I wish everyone involved in the negotiations over the coming months well in implementing the White Paper in a manner that is agreeable to all.

There has been substantial investment in our water services. Further investment is earmarked in the national development plan and Project Ireland 2040.A total of €14 billion will be required, out to the mid-2030s, for investment to bring our water system up to the required standard.

I agree with the mention in the motion of Irish Water's small towns and villages growth programme, which is crucial to providing water and wastewater processing to those areas that would not necessarily get the investment through the investment programmes of Irish Water. In that context, it is important to note that development plans are being devised by local authorities across the country and it will be important for Irish Water to follow the lead of local authorities in their development plans, as opposed to the other way around, whereby Irish Water might try to dictate to local authorities about investment priorities. I ask the Minister of State to take that message on board.

We must be careful at all times when talking about the impact of agriculture on water supplies. I have always found the agricultural community to be willing to change and to embrace that change. They have done this for generations and I have absolutely no doubt that they will do it in future. There is, however, a tendency on the part of some outside the Chamber to try to talk down to the agricultural community, saying it is the problem and the reason for all the ills. As politicians, we all know the only way we can bring people along is to have dialogue and incentivise people. I have absolutely no doubt that if we do this, the agricultural community will not be found wanting in this regard.

In respect of the rural water services programme, it is estimated that 11% of Irish people get their water from private water supplies. I raised a Commencement matter in this regard after Christmas, to which the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, responded. There is an 85% grant of up to €5,000 for sinking a new well and it is generally sufficient but the €1,000 treatment grant where there is poor water quality is not sufficient in many cases. The Minister of State indicated this would be reviewed after 12 months, which will be in June and I ask the Minister to take this on board. We need to look at revising the criteria and at inserting an "and-or" clause, in order that the funding can be used for either a new well or treatment or both, in light of the fact that treatment often costs more than €1,000.

I wish the Minister of State well and I thank my colleagues in the Green Party for bringing forward this very important motion on water quality.