Irish Water guilty of a dereliction of duty to customers - Browne

Tipperary TD Sinn Féin Martin Browne has said that Uisce Eireann/Irish Water is not fit for purpose, which is evident through its current dereliction of its duty towards the public and its lack of proper communication with the communities that are affected by water supply interruptions and with public representatives.

Teachta Browne was speaking as thousands of people across the county are subject to either water interruptions, boil water notices, or poor, inadequate and intermittent supply.

Teachta Browne said: “The current crisis within water services in Tipperary is evident of a dereliction of duty by Uisce Eireann/Irish Water towards the people it is tasked with serving.

“Thousands of people are at their wit’s end because of continuous issues with their water supplies. And to make matters worse, the level of information being given by the utility company to the very people who are putting up with the dreadful service being provided is wholly unacceptable.

“People are unable to shower, toilets can’t be flushed; the list goes on. Families with young children, or infirm relatives or relatives with particular requirements are feeling it the worst. Farms and business are struggling with an uncertain supply. Yet the response from Irish Water is leisurely at best, while families and business struggle.

“Furthermore, as an elected representative, I am consistently in contact with Irish Water on a dedicated support line, but the level of information provided by the utility company is far from adequate, with a lack of local knowledge evident, and a response time that does not reflect the urgency of the situation on the ground for households and businesses across the county.

“The chaotic situation caused by Irish Water is of their making. It is not because of industrial action by water services workers. It is because Irish Water is unaccountable, and therefore does not have the commitment to the needs of the public that local authorities had when they were responsible for addressing issues with water supplies.

“It could lead you to believe that the disgraceful situation that has been allowed to develop is an intentional ploy to force people into accepting water charges down the line.

“But this is not the answer.

“We need a water service provider that is accountable to the public and to elected representatives. We need a communication structure that has knowledge of local infrastructure, which would lead to improved response time, and a more acute duty of care.

“Furthermore, we need constitutional protection of the public ownership of our water system to protect against any future threat of privatisation. There should also be a continued footprint of water services staff in local authorities to maintain the connection with local communities and council housing and planning departments.

“Since the creation of Irish Water there has been a lack of accountability, a lack of local knowledge, and no duty of care to the communities across Tipperary who they are supposed to provide with a service which is a human right.”