by Louise Doyle
UISCE Éireann is being urged to carry out an immediate inspection of all fire hydrants in Letterkenny.
Tomorrow’s meeting of Letterkenny-Milford MD will be told that an urgent probe of all fire hydrants in Letterkenny must be carried out without delay.
Councillor Gerry McMonagle will table a motion calling on the national public water utility, which has statutory responsibility for the provision and maintenance of fire hydrants in the country, to carry out inspections to ensure all fire hydrants in the MD are fit for purpose and in working order.
There had been confusion voiced about which body had responsibility for fire hydrants. Cllr McMonagle said that now that the Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government confirmed such responsibility is with Uisce Éireann, he said the utility now must carry out inspections locally.
Concern emerged in December after Donegal Fire Service was alerted to a fire in a two-storey semi detached house in Meadowbank Lane in the town, but struggled to access water due to a clog in the closest fire hydrant.
Firefighters had to go further to another fire hydrant before they got access to water.
Elsewhere, fire crews responding to a major blaze at a pub in Castlefinn in March had to travel to two miles to access a working fire hydrant.
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