As Aontú Cllr Peter O’ Donoghue was attending the monthly meeting of Fermoy Municipal District where he was calling for a dramatic increase in crew numbers for the district, he saw two examples which he says encapsulates Uisce Eireann in a nutshell.
He says
“Outside the Council Chambers I saw a tanker filling up water to take to Youghal which has dire shortages, while on the other side water was still flowing like a river from a leak that was reported over a month ago.
You literally couldn’t make it up. Meanwhile Uisce Eireann has issued a hose pipe ban on the entire county until the 26th of August.
I have requested that this council writes to Uisce Eireann and request that the crew numbers be increased dramatically in the Fermoy and Mitchelstown area as currently the area is completely understaffed. There are only three fulltime crew working for Uisce Eireann in the Fermoy Mitchelstown area which is a massive area to cover, and they simply can’t keep up with the leaks .They are absolutely inundated and are chasing their tails the whole time. They need far more support as they are doing all they can with the very limited resources they have at their disposal There used to be three repairs crews in this area and now there is only one.
This is a disgraceful situation and unfair to both the crews and works who are working themselves to a standstill and to the local population.
In fact these hardworking crews on the ground are being badly let down by management of Uisce Eireann.
I find it absolutely staggering that a company tasked with ensuring that our population has a clean and ready supply of water is failing so abysmally.
It’s astonishing that in the midst of this abject mismanagement that the CEO of Uisce Eireann is to receive a pay rise that amounts in total to well over €100,000 this year. This will bring his pay package up to €392,000 a year.
Talk about rewarding failure.
People are incredulous that a state company which is not delivering is receiving bonuses and wage increases.
We have called for any increases for the CEO’s salary be stopped until such time that the company actually fulfils its remit.
As it is, Uisce Éireann was fined €20million last year for not fulfilling their objectives on reducing leaks on target and it has admitted to my party leader, Deputy Peadar Tóibín that it will be 2050 until all the leaks stopping house building are fixed.
So, a state company is actually holding up vital housebuilding in the worst housing crisis in the history of the state while its 2025 annual report shows that last year, bonus payments for staff increased by 36.5% to €17.84million.
“We had an awful Spring , it rained incessantly and yet here we are, a few weeks of glorious weather and we have water shortages. It’s beyond a joke. If Uisce Eireann fixed the leaks the people would not have to fact the stress of a restricted water supply.
The staff shortages, combined with the leaks, is causing major shortages for people living in the district and causing them huge inconvenience and stress.
We have elderly people who can’t be lugging big bottles of water and young families who need ample water supplies to cater for their needs left high and dry—-Literally.
I am delighted that my motion was passed with the wholehearted support of council members, who share my utter frustration at the way Uisce Eireann is managing the supply of water in this area”
