Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I facilitated a really important meeting with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and representatives from 120 businesses in Clonmel recently. The chairperson was Mr. William Burke, and Mr. Richie Gleeson, Ms Aisling Kilroy and Ms Nuala Hickey came to meet the Minister. The meeting was about Irish Water and water services in Clonmel. It is a huge issue for businesses. Essentially there is a long-term plan which will be to use the River Suir to bring new water into the town but that is a 15-year plan. In between that Irish Water is making short- to medium-term changes in Clonmel. I will explain what that means for the water supply being delivered to Clonmel from the Poulavanogue treatment plant which is on top of the Comeragh Mountains and looks down on the town. Irish Water is closing that plant and moving everyone who was in that to a different plant in Monroe. That does not sound like a problem but the quality of water from Poulavanogue is top quality and everyone is being moved to Monroe which is hard water. That is difficult for homeowners because they have to get filters and that is not ideal. For businesses who use a huge amount of water that is a real problem and a cost. Approximately 600 businesses and 2,000 homeowners in the area will be affected. Irish Water's plan is to do this by 2026 with an indefinite timeline for when the long-term plan will be put in place and funding has not even been secured for that yet. Basically, what will happen is that businesses and homeowners in Clonmel will be put onto a supply with a water quality that is worse than what they were on already. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has been very engaging on this but we need more engagement from Irish Water. Most public representatives would agree with the frustration we have about getting answers from Irish Water, from our perspective but particularly from a councillor's perspective. Two councillors in Clonmel, Michael Murphy and John Fitzgerald, have real issues in terms of getting answers from Irish Water on this issue and I would like it to be raised.