Water: Statements
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-21
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Paul Lawless (AON), Mayo

I want to raise an important issue that does not relate to Uisce Éireann or group water schemes. It is about houses that are not supplied on the public system or group water schemes. There are quite a number of such houses around the country. I believe there are around 100,000. In the valley of Glensaul in Tourmakeady, County Mayo, are 15 houses. I have been working with this community to try to get water into their homes. One man in that valley has a makeshift water connection from the local stream and on a stormy night the flow of the river washes that pipe away. He is an elderly man and it is a health hazard because reassembling this water pipe is becoming a frequent task. I have done much work on this matter and I have spoken to Uisce Éireann and officials in the local authority, but it seems there is no way that we can help him because he does not fall within the criteria of the multi-annual rural water scheme due to the number of houses. I would like the Minister of State's help with this. It is in very close proximity to the public water supply on the Lough Mask system. It is a major issue for this community. I am at a dead end with it. This is a basic need. There are elderly people in the community and significant difficulties as a result. Will the Minister of State meet me and work on this issue with me?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-31T01:00:51+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-21