The town of Birr has a population of 5,000. We have had nine outages across the town this year so far. Right now, Uisce Éireann has nine outages right across the town.

These are lasting for two, three, four, five consecutive days. It is simply not good enough. One might expect me to come in and ask for the investment to upgrade this, but that has actually happened. In 2023, we got €10 million to upgrade a water treatment plant. This is simply not acceptable from an infrastructural delivery perspective. I ask the Taoiseach to ensure that there is some element of review of delivery, management, accountability and oversight of all of our semi-State utilities.

I thank the Deputy. He might be aware that a mechanical issue arose at the Birr water treatment plant last weekend, which was repaired on Sunday. Water supply was returned to affected areas on the morning of Monday, 19 October. There are leakage reduction programme works taking place daily from 20 October until 23 October in the area, which may have impacted some supplies. All of the works in progress should be completed by the end of the week and customers should see a return to normal supply, notwithstanding a three-to-four-hour window for supply restoration.

Deputy Clendennen is correct that there has been significant investment by Uisce Éireann - by the Government, really - but that is what happened.