An Ennis councillor did not succeed yesterday in convincing Ministers and TDs outside the Dáil to sample drinking water from his hometown's water supply.
Green Party councillor Brian Meaney brought 40 litres of Ennis tap water to Dublin to see if deputies and Ministers would drink what Ennis residents will be drinking for two years. He returned home with 39½ litres.
An outright ban on drinking water from the public supply was lifted last week by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Ennis Town Council after 23 days, following an E.coli contamination of the supply.
However, the HSE advised the 30,000 residents that the young, sick and elderly should not drink the water for the next two years without first boiling it. The town is awaiting the construction of a new water treatment plant in July 2007.
Mr Meaney said yesterday that Independent Clare TD James Breen refused to drink the water, while Fine Gael's Pat Breen and Senator Tim Dooley (FF), both from the county, did sample it.
"Labour's Health spokeswoman Liz McManus recommended that no one drink it. I travelled here today to make the point that the water supply in Ennis is not a normal situation and that people will not accept it as such."
Apart from the cost to human health, the water crisis could cost Ennis General Hospital €36,000, based on the estimated two-year wait for the treatment plant.
"The hospital currently faces a monthly water bill of €1,500 and on average people are estimated to be spending €35 a week on bottled water," he said.
Chief executive of Ennis Chamber of Commerce Rita McInerney said yesterday her members "are very annoyed and very angry over the costs associated with the boil notice and the effect it has had on Ennis's image".