Water supplies - Replace our old pipes

NEW Year revellers, publicans, restaurant owners and hoteliers will welcome the easing of restrictions on water supplies tonight. Common sense has prevailed. Tonight of all nights, people like to enjoy themselves, ringing out the old times and ringing in the new.

Hopefully, other cities and towns will follow Dublin’s example because the food and drinks trade simply cannot operate without an adequate supply of water.

Regrettably, the picture is not so bright for the many householders who have suffered restricted access to this basic public utility ever since the Christmas freeze.

It is not good enough for councils to attribute the situation to abnormally cold weather. Global climate change could mean even harsher winters ahead.

This puts the onus on government, at national and local level, to replace Ireland’s outdated network of leaking pipes and improve the country’s inadequate storage facilities.

Hopefully, the easing of restrictions will mean ample water supplies for this evening’s revels. We wish all our readers a joyous night and a happy, peaceful and prosperous new year.