Uisce Éireann's refusal to attend meeting on Cork City's dirty water problem 'beyond insulting'
Uisce Éireann's decision not to attend public meeting was branded 'outrageous'.
Uisce Éireann says it cannot attend a special meeting of Cork City Council next week on the city’s dirty water crisis — a stance politicians have branded as "outrageous" and "beyond insulting".
It comes as the utility announced overnight water restrictions in parts of West Cork following detection of ammonia levels in the River Illen on Wednesday night, triggering a shut-down of the Ballyhilty water treatment plant to ensure that drinking water quality was not compromised.
The plant is now fully compliant and back in operation, but the storage capacity of reservoirs in the locality remains critically low, Uisce Éireann said.
“In order to boost reservoir levels, an overnight restriction is required from 7pm, Thursday, March 13, until 9am on Friday, March 14," a spokesperson said.
The restrictions will allow reservoir levels to recover and to ensure water supply to industries, schools, residences, and commercial premises during business hours.
Meanwhile, TDs and city councillors in Cork City reacted angrily on Thursday following confirmation that while Uisce Éireann officials are due to meet city officials next Wednesday, they are not available to attend a special public meeting the following day, called specifically to discuss the city's ongoing discoloured water problem.
Fine Gael councillor Shane O’Callaghan branded the utility’s position as “outrageous”.
"The refusal by the CEO and management of Uisce Éireann to attend a specially convened meeting of Cork City Council on the 20th March is totally unacceptable.
"On several occasions, Cork City Council have asked for them attend a meeting to answer questions regarding the management of water services in our City and they have repeatedly refused to do so.
"Their latest refusal to attend the meeting on March 20 is yet another slap in the face to the people of Cork, particularly those residents who have had to deal with filthy, brown water coming out of their taps or their water being turned off without sufficient notice. Uisce Éireann/Irish Water is a public utility that is funded by the taxpayer. They are therefore answerable to the people and the people's representatives.
"If the CEO and management of Uisce Éireann/Irish Water are either unwilling or unable to attend a meeting of the representatives of the people of Cork to answer questions about the service they provide, then they should be asked whether it is appropriate for them to continue to serve in their current roles."
The Green Party said it was as if Uisce Éireann was accountable to no one.
Northside councillor Oliver Moran said the city had housing projects that were dependent upon Uisce Éireann providing services.
“There are incidents of raw sewage spilling onto public roads,” he said.
“Households across the city are having to purchase under-the-sink filters because they can't trust the water coming out of their taps.
“When Cork City Council wrote to the minister about these issues, he wrote back to us saying he has no operational say over Uisce Éireann.
“He said the best place to contact them was through their customer service telephone number.
“The EPA and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities don't appear to have any grip on them. They won't come before councillors like any other state body would, so who are they responsible to?"
Sinn Féin, which tabled amendments at Monday’s March meeting of the city council calling for the EPA and HSE to be invited to next week's special council meeting too, said Uisce Éireann’s inability to attend was “beyond insulting”.
“The people of Cork deserve answers and they deserve accountability,” Cllr Michelle Gould said.
“Uisce Éireann are hiding from this because they know they are failing the people of the northside and everyone supplied by the Lee Road treatment centre.”
