Taoiseach disagrees with O’Dowd’s criticism of Irish Water

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has today disowned comments made by former minister of state Fergus O'Dowd relating to Irish Water.

“No, I do not agree with Deputy O’Dowd’s comment that Irish Water is an unmitigated disaster,” he said. “I do agree that Irish Water had teething problems during the course of when it was set up.”

Mr Kenny said that Irish Water was here to stay. “It is absolutely a fundamental concept and an entity to deal with the situation which was allowed to develop in this country where we are paying €1.2 billion to produce water, 40 per cent of which leaks away...many dozens of treatment plants that are inferior”.

Mr Kenny was replying in the Dáil to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.

Mr Martin said Mr O’Dowd had said that Irish Water had abjectly failed and that it was arrogant and uncaring. Mr Adams said Mr O’Dowd had established Irish Water and had pointed out that it was yet another cosseted quango.

Irish Water Response

Meanwhile Irish Water has responded to criticism from Mr O’Dowd, saying it was the utility’s “first priority” that customers had clarity on what they were expected to pay.

Irish Water also said it was important that customers understand their money would be invested in “vital improvements to an ageing and underinvested infrastructure”.

Mr O’Dowd said he had warned that if the utility did not engage properly with households, it would be an “unmitigated disaster”. But in explaining its rationale he said Irish Water had “abjectly failed”.

Irish Water later said it was committed to ensuring customers have all their questions answered as it “works through this period of change”.

In a statement the utility said the Commission for Energy Regulation had approved Irish Water costs up to 2016 "as being appropriate and in line with customer interests".

However many people have complained they are unable to get through on the Irish Water helpline number, and when they do so, they are redirected to the company’s website for information, without knowing if they are still in a call queue.

Max Madden of Co Clare told The Irish Times he had telephoned many times last week and this, and late on Friday evening he listened to a recorded announcement which told him the information service had been regionalised. “But they said my region was not included”, he said.

Fianna Fáil spokesman on environment Barry Cowen said "even now" there was "no proper complaints mechanism in place so people can raise their concerns about the bills they will be forced to pay in January". He said Mr O'Dowd's comments "point to a deep dysfunction" in the establishment of Irish Water.

Mr Cowen said many of the concerns raised by Fianna Fáil since Irish Water’s establishment, which were made while Mr O’Dowd was minister in charge, were “now being acknowledged”.

Dun Laoghaire

Meanwhile Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has called on Minister for Environment Alan Kelly to ask Irish Water to take responsibility for an allegedly chronic leak, which is said to be damaging the West Pier.

Councillor Karl Gill of People Before Profit condemned what he said were “massive losses of water” from a burst pipe at Dun Laoghaire Sea Scout site on the West Pier.

He told councillors both Irish Water and county management had refused to take responsibility for necessary repairs. “The pipe has been pumping out water for over 8 months and is causing significant damage to that area of the pier.”