Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn says he was ‘astounded’ to learn that very little progress has been made on fixing water pipes in South Inishowen – just as the supply is due to be extended to Letterkenny.
The Donegal Senator conveyed his disappointment at the latest response from Irish Water on the replacement of water pipes in the Slab Lands in Burnfoot and Burt that supply water from the Eddie Fullerton Dam reservoir to homes in South Inishowen.
Even though the works to extend this water supply to Letterkenny is approaching completion, Irish Water have confirmed that they are continuing to work on the assessment, design and planning of the pipe replacement on the Slab Lands and they have not provided a timeline for the completion of the works.
Senator Mac Lochlainn said:
“Irish Water know that there is a real problem with the pipes along this stretch. They have repeatedly burst over recent years, causing huge inconvenience for home owners and businesses in South Inishowen.
“A year ago, I arranged a meeting between Irish Water and local public representatives and we were pleased when Irish Water confirmed that they intended to replace these problem pipes.
“However, a year on and it appears that little progress has been made. This is astounding when we consider that the works to extend this water supply on to Letterkenny are almost complete”.
“As it stands, these regular pipe bursts in this area are now going to inconvenience homes and businesses in Letterkenny too. This doesn’t make sense and I am calling on Irish Water to review this whole issue and prioritise the replacement of these problem pipes as a matter of urgency.
“The bottom line is that Irish Water should have fixed this problem water supply to South Inishowen before sending it on to Letterkenny”.
