The South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) has strongly defended its spending of over €100,000 a year on bottled and dispensed water for consumption by staff and patients using their services.
The board, which has a staff of more than 12,000, provides a variety of services for over 400,000 people at 150 centres around the region.
Figures from the SEHB reveal they spent €82,000 in 2000 on "non-mains" water, €130,000 in 2001, and although no definitive figures have been provided for 2002, upwards of €95,000 has been paid out already this year to three water companies.
A board spokesperson yesterday stressed these were necessary costs.
"The South Eastern Health Board is satisfied that the provision of non-mains water serves to assist with increased patient care and is provided for the comfort of patients, visitors and staff at minimal cost, benefiting many." The spokesperson also said, however, that the decision to provide bottled and dispensed water was not prompted by concerns over the quality of the local water supply.
"The South Eastern Health Board would like to stress that it currently has no specific problem with the local water supply in any of its areas.
"However, non-mains water is made available in the majority of our centres for the convenience of patients, visitors and staff because the mains water supply is primarily available in kitchens and toilet areas.
"The kitchens are not generally accessible to patients and the public and the consumption of water available in toilet areas would not be hygienically acceptable.