Uisce Éireann is told to 'do its job' on Clare Island
Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh said it is 'disgraceful' that residents of Clare Island are still dealing with water outages.
Mayo Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh has called on Uisce Éireann to "do its job" and ensure a continuous supply of potable water to the 160 residents of Clare Island.
Deputy Conway-Walsh said: “It is disgraceful that in 2023, the residents of Clare Island are still dealing with water outages for up to two weeks at a time; and that they are still unable to get any commitment from Uisce Éireann on when the necessary upgrades will happen.
“The most recent continuous outage lasted a full 10 days, with some parts of the island affected by disruptions for 14 days. Water outages are a very serious matter for our islanders who are dependent on a fresh water supply for drinking and basic sanitation, but also in case of fire. These water outages are not new to the Clare Island community either. Over the past two years, they have had to deal with five boil water notices, the most recent only ending in mid-October.
“Apart from the lack of water, the island community is frustrated by the ongoing lack of engagement from Uisce Éireann. Joanne Carroll, Community Development Co-ordinator, tells me that unless she contacts Uisce Éireann directly for information, the islanders don’t receive any warnings or updates.
“Residents are advised to check the Uisce Éireann website for updates, but with the National Broadband plan not expected to offer connections to some islanders till 2025, this is not an acceptable solution from the national authority for water services.
“Joanne says that the islanders have asked for contingency supplies of water to be kept on the island, but this hasn’t happened either. Uisce Éireann won’t commit to a deadline for the upgrade works, only stating that ‘these projects take anywhere from 18 to 24 months to complete’.
“Such a lack of engagement from our national water authority is simply not acceptable, particularly for vulnerable island communities. I’m calling on Uisce Éireann and Minister Darragh O’Brien to engage with the Clare Island community and outline a firm plan of action with a reasonable deadline.”
Meanwhile, Uisce Éireann issued a boil water notice last Wednesday for the approximately 1,153 consumers supplied by Crossmolina Public Water Supply. The notice has been issued due to an operational issue that has impacted the disinfection process at the plant.
