Environment Minister Urged To 'Stop Ignoring' Kerry Water Crisis

The Environment Minister has beeb urged to stop ignoring the water crisis in Kerry and to intervene to resolve the situation.

Fianna Fail Kerry Senator Ned O'Sullivan said that the extent of the problem is so severe that a senior official with Kerry County Council referred to the situation as "diabolical".

Senator O'Sullivan said: "It’s no secret that the water service in Kerry has been struggling for some time. Already this year there have been 14 major breaks in the mid Kerry mains supply. The service is falling apart and the Government is ignoring the situation. Some of the pipes are almost 40 years old and there are incidents where there have been multiple breaks on the same line.

"It’s not good enough that people in Kerry cannot rely on their water supply. Water is an essential service, but unfortunately this Dublin centred Government is happy to leave Kerry residents with a sub-standard service. It’s completely outrageous to expect people to pay for such inadequate provisions. Minister Hogan’s dismissive attitude towards households affected by these supply issues is just a symptom of his total disregard for communities across the country that are still suffering significant water problems just months before charges hit," said Senator O’Sullivan

"It’s being reported that each household can expect to pay €240 a year in water charges. In Kerry that means paying well over the odds for a service that is clearly not of decent quality. Communities affected by serious deficiencies in water quality, chronic leaks, and regular will be expected to pay the same charges as everyone else. How is this fair?

"The Government has spent around €800 million of taxpayers’ money on setting up the bonus driven super quango Irish Water, paying for exorbitant consultancy fees, staff top-ups and perks, and on installing water meters, while at the same time ignoring chronic problems with the water network. It’s further proof that the Government’s claim about this being all about an improved service is completely bogus.

"Far from upgrading our water supply, the entire focus of the Government and Irish Water has been on setting up a corporate entity to charge people. The only thing that Kerry households are getting in return is charges - not any improvement in service."

(MH)