Danny Healy-Rae urges action on rural water crisis

Thank you very much. I'm glad this morning to get the opportunity to raise the very serious plight of people in Noids Mountain, Nakhnagoshal and Loire-Kompan, which is the one area with their bones together, ministers. And they have very little water there. In fact, their wells are obsolete now because the water is undrinkable. When you pour the water out of these, the wells that they had, it's like a cup of coffee, it has gotten brown and they just can't drink it anymore. And there's up to 18 houses involved here. Now the same applies and the cost of the group extinction is too prohibitive. In this instance where the line is expected linked of the distance of bringing the water to them from the supply that's passing, it's 4.8 kilometers away from them. And the cost of the overall scheme would be 720,000 euros at a price that was given two years ago. So it would be more expensive now. And you see, the individual, there's up to 18 houses here, is my understanding. And individually, they would have to contribute 45,000 each per house. And maybe down to somewhere between 38 or 9,000, up to 45,000 per house, which is totally unprohibitive. It is prohibitive. Then we have areas in Guinea Grille and two particular places, Nakne Seed to Bernard and from Coombe over to Bernard, but there is five and seven houses in each case that can't get a connection because of the cost of the group scheme is too prohibitive. And then totally, we have high areas up in Castle Island, where the pressure goes down in the summertime and when water is scarce. Places like Dooneen, Crag, and Churchtown, and Downsheroon, these people suffer very bad water pressure later on in the summer when water gets scarce every year. And all they're asking for is a mile of an extinction where there's inadequate supply coming from the Brosnan side. But for years now, they've been asking for this and they have been left behind. So I'm asking here ministers very seriously to consider something, to do something for these people because, as I said, water is a basic human right. And today, we remember there a few weeks ago when houses were without water for four, five or six days, which was terrible. But can you imagine to be without water every day, all day, and week after week? And look, they tried to get this going, this group scheme, the people in Knights Mountain, in 2022. And the price they got that time was €720,000. And as I said, even after the grant, they would have to pay somewhere up to €45,000 per household. That's not on it, our ministers, and we must help those people. And if you can't provide the money, it's Kerry County Council, the local authority, that administers the group water scheme. And it has to be done to Irish waters standards, which require top standard work. And they insist on that. And the cost is so prohibitive. He'll have to do something to allow them, either to help them to lay the domain themselves. These roads are very quiet, Minister, and they could work along the side of the road themselves. Do something, please, to help these people to get going and to ensure that they have water. Thank you very much for raising this issue, Deputy Healey Ray. There are two very important matters that we'll try to address today. First of all, I just want to outline some of the schemes that are available. I appreciate you've pointed out what they might cost per household, but I think it might be helpful to outline them. There are a number of grants available through local authorities under the Department's rural water programme to support householders to carry out improvement works to their private water supplies. The amount of grant funding available to households is 85% of the approved costs for a new well, subject to a maximum grant of €5,000. And you outline that there are issues with wells in this area in terms of the water quality that is provided. There are 85% of the approved costs for well rehabilitation work, subject to a maximum grant of €3,000. That's obviously if there's a grant well in place already. And then 100% of the approved costs for works that are necessary to treat the water to meet the water quality standards set out in the drinking water regulations, subject to a maximum grant of €1,000. There are also nine individual funding measures under the most recent cycle of the multi-annual water programme, which covers the period 2024 to 2026. Each funding measure is directed at a specific activity. For example, source protection, water treatment, network improvements, etc. There are two measures that are focused on the provision of safe and secure piped water supply to the household, currently without such a supply, where it is technically and economically viable to do so. Under the programme, these measures are Measure A5 and Measure A7. Measure A5 provides funding support for extensions to existing group water schemes and the development of new standalone group water schemes. The measure supports the continued expansion of pipe water supplies to those parts of rural population that cannot be served by public water supplies. The grant funding available is 85% of the costs necessary and approved work subject to a maximum of €15,000 per household. Measure A7 provides funding for community water connections. This measure too supports the continued expansion of pipe water supplies to those parts of the rural population reliant on private wells that can be served by the public water supplies. The funding provided under this measure enables Isk Eirin taking in charge a network constructed to an appropriate standard. The amount of grant funding available is 85% of the costs of necessary and approved work subject again to a maximum of €15,000 per house connected. My department is committed to delivering improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public services. In respect of the public water supply aspect raised by the Deputy, Isk Eirin has confirmed that Laira Crampaan is a scheme that they are currently upgrading. However, Isk Eirin outlined that they have not received any notifications of any supply issues in this area. In addition, Isk Eirin confirmed that Knights Mountain, Nacaridhara, is not currently part of any scheme and there are no plans in place to extend this area. Both Niamh Gilead and Castle Island are part of the central regional Locketown supply where there is ample capacity. Some of Isk Eirin's team are currently working on replacing three kilometres of water mains from the reservoir in Castle Island in the town as part of their mains rehabilitation programme. However, Isk Eirin are not aware of any pressure issues on the Castle Island supply. Now, I know Deputy, that may contradict some of what you are saying in terms of the issues that people are having in the regions of Kerry that you are talking about in terms of supply issues, in terms of the cost per house, and I agree with you in what you said in your opening statements. Basic running water should be a right of any human being and any household. So, what I will absolutely undertake to do is take back these issues that you have raised here today. Clearly, Isk Eirin is saying that they have no reports of people raising issues in that area. So, I would urge anyone in that area to contact Isk Eirin. There is a helpline there that they can contact and report any underlying issues that they have. And I will undertake, I will, we have in our department a section that deals directly with Isk Eirin. I will undertake to raise the issues that you have raised here and ensure that you get an adequate and proper response back. Especially if you are saying that households will have to fork out in the region of €45,000. That cannot happen, that is not acceptable. Thank you very much, Minister. I hear you saying there that Isk Eirin haven't heard anything or known nothing about it. But you see, I did mention to you that it is Kerry County Council that has the responsibility in the first place to group water schemes and administer those schemes. Now, I am kind of amazed that Kerry County Council haven't liaised with Isk Eirin in this case. But the facts are, as I have outlined to you very clearly, these people applied back, especially those in Lyra-Kampagne, they applied back in 2022 and they failed to get it going. And you said there that there is a grant of up to €15,000. But you see, you never said that there is a minimum requirement of having 25 houses. What about the 7 and the 5 and the 18 houses that I have mentioned there? And there are several others like them. I mean, the Grand Bush deploy, you must consider the smaller number as well. And 18 is almost there in my book. But you can't have that everywhere. And I am amazed also that Irish water and the way of the pressure problems up in the higher areas of Castle Island. And I know they are doing works. But that's going a different way. That's going into town. But there was a massive amount of breaks from Valley Macadam and down to the main street in Castle Island. And that's dealing with a different issue. But the area is open in Craig. They have no drop of water for half the summer every whole year. Now, I am asking to go back and get Kerry County Council to liaises with Irish water, if that makes a difference. But the Kerry County Council are responsible for the group water scheme and the provision of it. And to make it more friendly for the people that need water to do something. And this minimum of 26 houses, that can be entertained when 5 or 7 houses and 18 houses don't have any water. And where their wells went wrong. These people have done everything possible. They have drilled wells in different places and everything. And they don't have drinking water at the present time. I am asking you to do something about this in this Government's time. Mr Stone. Mr Erler. Thanks again Deputy Healy Ray. I completely appreciate where you are coming from. I just want to reiterate that under the recent review of the Rural Water Programme, the amount per household was increased from 9,000 to 15,000. But I accept that there has to be some degree of flexibility, especially when your smaller number of houses are impacted. And that is something I will certainly be relaying back to the Department. You know, this isn't just an issue in Kerry. There are areas as well in West Cork where we have seen pressure issues in particular. Where as soon as there is break after break after break, and what we are seeing is Ishgairan, they will replace the next section and then they are just moving the problem down the line. And what is needed in many of these situations is a substantial overhaul of the water supply. And I can tell you, and this is serious, I am not making light of it, the people in certain parts of Lissavard, in particular in Ratberry, were happy to see the Healy Ray vans on site a number of years ago when they were replacing the pipe network around there. And the problem was solved. It was fantastic. But these black spots exist right around West Cork. They exist in Kerry, obviously. I think there has to be a programme of replacing these pipes so that we start out the water pressure issue. But I will take back your point in relation to the group water schemes and the fact that where there are smaller groups of houses, that they seem to be left out of these group water scheme programmes. But, you know, 15,000, that is a significant amount per household. But obviously, if it's an issue where they don't have... If it's an issue where the necessities for 25 houses and some areas are being left out, that's something I will undertake to take back to the Department and see if it can be investigated and see if there can be some level of flexibility in these areas of Kerry because I know how frustrating it can be when you don't have a decent adequate water supply. And areas in urban areas never have any issue with water supply. So I will take it back, Deputy, and thanks for raising it again. Thank you. Thank you. .