Decades needed to replace lead water pipes

It may take decades to remove dangerous lead water pipes from Irish homes, Environment Minister Alan Kelly has said.

Launching the first government initiative to try and tackle the problem, Mr Kelly said it was not a quick-fix situation.

The minister said it could take up to 20 years to rid households and public buildings of the menace posed by lead pipes, stating: “It cannot be dealt with immediately or quickly but will take a considerable amount of time.”