Minister for the Environment Dick Roche renewed the Government's offer to provide State transport to supply water to Galway.
He said he had suggested to the local authorities last Friday that, if it would be helpful, he would ask Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea to make available either Civil Defence or Army transport to bring in water.
"For reasons it has discussed, the council is not disposed to taking up that proposition. I am aware the local authorities were working over the weekend on alternative means of providing emergency clean water supplies.
"I have told them I will provide them with any assistance or back-up required to so do.
"I indicated yesterday to the council that I was somewhat frustrated to read and hear media reports to the effect that families still had not been provided with relief. I again indicated today that I am anxious for this to happen." Mr Roche said he had told the local councils that they could have tankers if they wished.
The Minister was replying to concerns expressed by Fine Gael environment spokesman Fergus O'Dowd and Noel Grealish (PD, Galway West).
Mr O'Dowd said there was a serious public health issue involved. "It constitutes a crisis for the people of Galway and could become a crisis in many other locations." The key question, he said, was why water tankers had not been deployed in Galway to supply households.
Mr Grealish said that it was an issue pertaining to the health of the Galway people.
Mr Roche said that Galway had not become a "no go" area. "Boiling the water more than adequately deals with the problem and I understand guesthouses and hotels have taken steps, on which I commend them." The Minister said that last month he had introduced new water monitoring regulations which directly followed up on the suggestions made by the latest Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report.
The EPA's last two reports raised concerns about the quality and volume of monitoring taking place and indicated that while some local authorities were very good, others were not. One of the plants identified specifically as being at risk was the old Terryland plant.
"This is the reason there is much mystification regarding the delays in Galway. However, this has been changed. The new regulations were introduced before the outbreak and I understand they took effect on March 8th," said the Minister.
