Councillors seek meeting with Uisce Éireann as water services in West Cork 'a disgrace'

Households left without water for a number of days

An Uisce Éireann worker laying pipes. Fine Gael councillor Caroline Cronin said that Uisce Éireann is underfunded, which is the core problem. Picture: Clare Keogh

Councillors from Cork County Council’s West Cork Municipal District have unanimously condemned Uisce Éireann and the state of the region’s water supply network, saying many homes were left without water for days on end.

The issue was raised by Independent Ireland councillor Danny Collins who called for a suspension of standing orders to discuss the matter of numerous water supply problems across West Cork during August. 

Mr Collins said that there had been issues across West Cork in Crookhaven, Adrigole, Bantry, Schull, and other locations throughout the last few weeks.

The Independent Ireland councillor said that Adrigole was without water for two days forcing B&Bs to turn away customers whilst the same pipe had broken in Beach, Bantry 85 times in the past five years. 

Mr Collins said that Uisce Éireann is almost impossible to contact and did not reply to councillors' queries for weeks. 

He said: “It would be easier getting through to Donald Trump. You get through to a call centre and they don’t know the area. I was told before there was no such place as Durrus.”

Beara-based Independent councillor Finbarr Harrington said the situation was "beyond a joke", adding: “For the past three weeks the water situation in Adrigole on the Beara Peninsula is nothing short of a disgrace. 

Many homes were left without water for days with one home owner telling me they had no water for nine out of 12 days. Some farmers that depended on the main supply had to draw water for cattle.

"There is a section of pipework at the start of this water network that is continuously breaking, there is more holes in the road now from fixing it than in a sieve.” 

He said that reservoirs are also running dry due to delays in fixing leaks which is not sustainable and is “costing a fortune”.

Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre Kelly said that meetings arranged between councillors and Uisce Éireann’s communications team are pointless. 

She said that councillors need to be able to talk to engineers and decision makers to find out what works are happening on the ground. 

Fine Gael councillor Caroline Cronin said that Uisce Éireann is underfunded, which is the core problem.

District manager Nicola Radley said that Uisce Éireann had previously asked councillors to highlight issues in their areas and had addressed them in detail at a previous meeting with members. 

Mr Collins said that none of the issues he had raised had been dealt with and he had been “fobbed off”. 

It was agreed to write to Uisce Éireann to request a meeting between their engineers and the council’s western division.

• This article is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.