'Pathetic' - Tipperary TD calls for reform of Irish Water due to recent disruption

Mattie McGrath TD has branded the current issues with Tipperary’s water supply as “pathetic” when speaking to the Dáil Chamber on Thursday, 23 June.

He said there is currently “no movement” from Irish Water as the issue continues to have a huge impact on the lives and businesses in the county. 

Thousands of Tipperary households have been issued with a boiled water notice in recent days.

Deputy McGrath said: “I am wondering if there is any possibility of some legislation to reform the entity of so-called Uisce Éireann, Irish Water.”

“The town of Clonmel serves roughly 20,000 people. There are water outages on a weekly and sometimes daily basis.”

Deputy McGrath mentioned the efforts of Jimmy Harney and other officials for trying to get a source from the River Suir and a treatment plant, alongside a landowner willing to sell the site.

“However, there is no movement from Irish Water. It does not have a penny to do anything. The business people, ordinary families, hospitals, everybody else and every industry is out of water on a daily basis, or on a weekly basis certainly, and sometimes for whole weekends and weeks.”

“Heading to the driest period of the year, August and September, I shudder to think what will happen to the people.”

He added: “They are going around to neighbours and elsewhere to get a shower. It is just pathetic at the moment.”

“We need some kind of reform and accountability from Irish Water.”

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that he raised the current supply issues to the CEO and senior team of Irish water in recent weeks. 

Mr Varadkar said: “Often, smaller towns around the country that need to expand cannot because waste water services are not available. There is industry that cannot be built because water is not available. In some cases, housing developments cannot proceed because water services are not available.”

“In fairness to Irish Water, it pointed out to me that it has a pretty massive capital programme under way at the moment of about €1 billion a year.”

He noted the capacity to go beyond the current capital programme is limited due to the availability of resources such as materials and staff. 

Mr Varadkar added: “It has a very ambitious capital programme and it is being implemented. I just appreciate that it is not happening quickly enough for a lot of people.”