Regarding the programme for Government and water investment, more than 1,000 homes in my constituency yesterday were put on a "no wash, no drink" notice by Irish Water due to extremely elevated levels of chlorine contamination. Quite a number of questions remain as Irish Water fixes the problem. The constituents on the ground do not know the type of chlorine that was in the water or the extent of it. We know there were elevated levels right down at the end of the line in this case, but they do not know how long it has been a problem. What we do know is that this is very important.

I know it is, but let us have a question.

This concerns children's health. Children have suffered what their parents describe as chemical burns. There have been many illnesses in the area in recent weeks and people are beginning to wonder what the position is. When people make a call to what is, I understand, the poisons hotline of the HSE, the HSE cannot give them any information because they need the information I have just asked the Tánaiste for regarding the duration of the contamination, the type of product that is in the supply and the extent of it in people's water. By the way, pets who depend on water have died in this case-----

I am watching the clock. Can any Minister respond to the question?

I will give the House some information on this. As the Deputy knows, about 500 households are affected, which is just over 1,000 people. The incident was caused by a mechanical failure at a chlorine dosing pump that resulted in excessive chlorine levels in the water supply. Chlorine is added to drinking water for disinfection purposes to ensure that water is safe to drink from a microbiological point of view. Irish Water customers have been told not to drink the water, not to use it for food preparation and not to wash with it until further notice.

Manned water tankers are in place in appropriate locations in the area. The mechanical failure has now been addressed and Irish Water is flushing the network to return chlorine levels to what they should be. The advice is clear, and it is that people should not use the water until Irish Water gives an instruction that it is okay to do so and the problem has been being fixed.