Council pass motion to address chronic issues with Uisce Eireann in Waterford
Cllr Catherine Burke said there has been an ongoing failure from Irish Water to engage with electoral districts.
Councillors in Waterford have unanimously voted to pass a motion, which calls on Irish Water to be held to greater accountability.
The motion, which was introduced to the floor of the Council Chamber last week by Cllr Catherine Burke, called on Uisce Eireann representatives to attend regular district council meetings in Waterford, to ensure that the organisation can be questioned directly and receive feedback from elected members.
Cllr Burke said there has been an ongoing failure from Irish Water to engage with electoral districts, which has created unnecessary delay in addressing serious issues relating to water outages, leaks, wastewater infrastructure and service delivery.
“Councillors are regularly contacted by residents, businesses and community groups seeking answers and solutions, yet there is no consistent forum for direct engagement with Uisce Eireann," Cllr Burke said.
Seconding the motion, Cllr Donnchadh Mulcahy said he is “sick” of locals being regularly left without water, often with little or no communication from Irish Water.
He said that in recent weeks an area in West Waterford was without water for days.
During the ordeal, communication was so poor that many residents didn’t know where temporary water supplies were available.
The motion was passed unanimously by all elected members of the Council.
