Former mayor brands Irish Water a ‘disaster’ for repairs

A former mayor of Galway City has branded Irish Water a “disaster” in dealing with complaints and leaks repairs.

Councillor Frank Fahy (FG) said he had reported a leak to the utility at Christmas, and three weeks later, nothing has been done.

However, the City Council’s Director of Water Services, Edel McCormack, said Irish Water has a very good record for a timely response to calls in the city and she was surprised at the negativity around the table.

Cllr Fahy made the comments at a meeting of the Council, saying: “I’m finding Irish Water very frustrating recently. I think they’re a disaster. Are Irish Water responsible for leaks or is it the City Council?”

He said he knew of a householder in Mervue who has been unable to sleep at night because of a leak. He was told by IW at the beginning of January that it would be fixed, and three weeks later, the work has not been done.

“Nobody seems to be able to give me answers,” said Cllr Fahy.

Cllr Declan McDonnell (Ind) asked if it was possible that councillors be given an emergency contact number for IW engineers – particularly during winter months, when leaks may lead to icy roads.

He said that while councillors already have a direct IW contact number for office hours, a call on a Friday evening may not be dealt with until a Tuesday.

Cllr Mike Cubbard (Ind) said he had made five phone calls in nine days about a leak in a house before IW accepted “it was their problem” – the householder had taken time off work twice and nobody showed up to make the repairs.

Ms McCormack said IW has a pilot programme in place to accelerate leak detection and repair in the city, and the Council is in discussions for the appointment of a contractor.

She said councillors already have a dedicated phone number for emergency calls, which are recorded and then referred back to the Council.

She added she was not willing to discuss individual cases in the Council chamber.

“There is a lot of negativity about calls to Irish Water. This is the first I’ve heard. If there are any [problems], bring them to us. I’m surprised at some of the negativity here in this regard,” said Ms McCormack.

Cllr Padraig Conneely (FG) said he wasn’t noted for being positive, but when he had two complaints about leaks, they were fixed within one day.

“I’m surprised at some of the comments, and I wouldn’t be the easiest person in the world to please,” he said.