Irish Water and local public representatives are set to hold ‘crunch talks’ in Letterkenny tomorrow, Monday, December 3 in the Radisson Blu Hotel.
A meeting has repeatedly been sought over recent weeks following the continuous water mains bursts impacting on the South Inishowen water supply and the delays in completing the €5.8 million North East Inishowen water supply project.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Donegal Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, said: “I welcome this meeting as an opportunity to get some long overdue answers on behalf of the people that we represent. It is also an opportunity to hold the management of Irish Water to account on some serious shortfalls in delivery.
“Firstly, we understand that Irish Water plans to extend the water supply from the Eddie Fullerton Dam on to Letterkenny despite the constant bursts to the water mains on that route,” he said. “Bursts that repeatedly impact on a large number of homes and businesses in South Inishowen.
“Not only have Irish Water refused to commit to a pipe replacement programme on this route, incredibly they now want to extend this unstable supply onto Letterkenny.
“All of this needs to be urgently reviewed and I will be demanding a pipe replacement programme for South Inishowen”.
“Secondly, we need answers on when the North East Inishowen water supply project will be finally completed.
“It is particularly important to the community in Greencastle in that it will provide a secure and safe supply of water to them following their real concerns about the high levels of THMs in their water supply,” he added.
“Unfortunately, Irish Water’s assurance to me has not been honoured. The project will not be completed this year and I and the people of Inishowen need answers as to why that is”.