20th February, 2002
Dr. Henry: I will be very brief, because having listened to the Minister for the last half an hour, I feel profoundly sorry for him in the task that he has. He certainly seems to have trouble in all Departments. The CLÁR programme is a worthwhile one, in that it is trying to co-ordinate activities between various Departments and local authorities. Such co-ordination has been a grave difficulty in the past.
I want to focus on the issue of rural water supply. In Athenry recently, a very serious issue arose when the drinking water supply there was polluted. I am not sure whether or not the cause of this pollution has been established, but it did not just involve bacteria; chemicals injurious to human health were also present in the supply.
I sometimes think that we do not take these issues seriously. Last year, as I am sure the Minister will remember because he is a very well-read man, in the eastern part of Canada a small municipal water supply was polluted with cow manure containing an organism called Cryptosporidium, and this caused the deaths of seven people. When we have these sorts of problems, we are inclined to think of them as a cosmetic issue, but there are very serious health implications involved.
While I applaud the Minister's efforts to bring proper drinking water supplies to all houses, a great deal of effort has to be put into encouraging and teaching people about the correct maintenance of these supplies. Sometimes I do not think people understand that the 41% of rural water schemes which are polluted by human and animal faeces are polluted from a source that is in close proximity to the scheme. When I was in Africa, I was invited to the opening of a rural water scheme project which Irish agencies had been involved in setting up. I asked the people there how often they intended to test the water quality and they expressed shock that such a thing was necessary. I often think that I would get much the same response if I asked similar questions at Irish rural water schemes.
A big effort has to be made to encourage people to maintain these schemes more effectively. I have read reports issued by the Environmental Protection agency which suggest that, frequently, very little effort is put in to the maintenance of these schemes. I would hope that when the Minister, quite rightly, allocates money for the provision of these schemes, questions will be asked regarding who is going to take control of the testing of the water supply to ensure its safety. I know the Minister is concerned about planning being refused for single houses, but we must be extraordinarily careful that the sewage treatment schemes which are put into these houses are not a source of pollution. It might well be better to aim for having three or four houses in any new development, in order that a more sophisticated scheme could be put in place. I accept that this is not the sort of scenario the Minister of State likes to envisage.
Éamon Ó Cuív: I raised with the Department of the Environment and Local Government the possibility of giving an extra grant in cases where a proprietary treatment plant is constructed in conjunction with a house. I was asked if I was trying to keep the companies going and informed that a septic tank, properly constructed, is a perfectly efficient way of disposing of effluent.
Dr. Henry: Perhaps the Minister of State will give further consideration to the type of scheme to which I refer.
Éamon Ó Cuív: My thinking was along the same lines as the Senator's.
Dr. Henry: We must also remember that the spreading of slurry has posed major problems. Groundwater in this country is frequently polluted as a result of the spreading of slurry. This leads to particular difficulties in the west where there is karst limestone and an absence of a good soil base through which water can be filtered. The natural filtration offered by soil is excellent. However, the spreading of slurry in areas where there is heavy rain means that it will filter down into the groundwater and make its way into people's drinking water. In addition to providing money, the Minister of State must try to engender a sense of responsibility among those who are in charge of local schemes. Someone must take responsibility for the testing of water.
Another area to which I wish to refer is health - the Minister of State did not say much about it. I support the establishment of day centres and other initiatives the Minister of State is trying to get off the ground. He may not know it, but the Department of Health and Children is encountering serious difficulties in terms of the flight of doctors from rural areas. A huge number of GMS posts are available in rural areas but no applications are being made in respect of them. This is a serious matter because people will not be encouraged to remain in such areas unless they can be sure of access to primary medical care.
A number of good suggestions were made earlier about information technology. It is important that rural health centres are linked, through information technology, to small adjacent hospitals and major medical centres. For example, enormous developments in terms of diagnosis could be made in the west through the linking of medical bases there with medical centres in Galway. We must ensure that people have access to these sorts of facilities. In addition, and with the exception of the enormously rich, medical cards should be given to everyone in these areas. I am sure the Minister of State has it in his power to ensure that this happens because it will be of major assistance to people living in these areas.
I strongly commend the Minister of State for trying to do something about sport. It is sad to think that people who live in rural areas have less chance of becoming involved in sport than those who live in the suburbs of Dublin.
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