Government duty bound to upgrade water infrastructure – Ní Riada

Sinn Féin MEP for Ireland South, Liadh Ní Riada, has called on the Irish Government to draw down EU funds in order to upgrade Ireland’s water infrastructure.

Speaking from Strasbourg Ms Ní Riada said;

“In Ireland, our water infrastructure is simply put, outdated and in serious need of an upgrade.

“This upgrade can be funded through EU programs, such as European Structural and Investment Funds or Horizon 2020. The government is duty bound to upgrade the system, which is failing to meet standards and is putting the public at risk.

“Construction of waste water collection and treatment infrastructure requires important investments, for which there are funding opportunities under the European and Structural and Investments Funds.

“Just last week we saw reports that a microscopic parasite that can cause respiratory and gastrointestinal illness has been detected in the drinking water supplies of two areas in north Cork.

“I will be writing to the Minister responsible, Eoghan Murphy, in the coming days asking him about our failure to meet the highest standards in waste-water treatment,

“I call on him here to today to explore avenues of funding that he and the Government avail of to upgrade our water system and protect the public’s wellbeing.”