Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The point is well made about the further 35% of smaller water treatment plants that serve Irish Water customers. I will take that point back. It is important that there be a full audit of all water treatment plants because there is the potential for further incidents. There is potential for that in those smaller plants. Since the formation of this Government, one thing we have done is put in place record capital funding for Irish Water to be able to meet its water service delivery programme and to ensure as it is a basic human right that when people turn on their taps they have access to clean, potable water. From that point of view it is critically important that as a Government, we work with Irish Water to ensure it is delivering on that and once it moves into being a fully integrated company with full control of its own staffing, that will be an important aspect of that work. There is no doubt but there are lessons to be learned in this regard. It is important that there is transparency. All reporting of the incidents and what led to those incidents should be made available to Senators, elected Members, local authorities and to the public generally. I hope we will move on from this and learn our lessons and ensure that we have clean drinking water for everybody in this country.