DONEGAL TD Pearse Doherty has called on government ministers to visit Donegal and see first-hand the impact that a lack of access to public water is having on local communities.
Deputy Doherty was criticising the lack of investment and accountability from government on the issue.
Speaking to Minister James Browne and Minister Cummins in the Dáil yesterday, Teachta Doherty said:
“We are told time and time again by this government that water services have been improving, that everything is now under control and that Uisce Éireann is fit for purpose.
“In fact, Uisce Éireann is so content with the job it is doing that it gave €21,000 in bonuses for good performances in 2024 to hundreds of its highest paid executives, some already earning over €200,000 a year.
“If Uisce Éireann or indeed the minister or Minister of State were to come to Donegal, they would see the reality of a litany of failure and a total lack of accountability.”
In particular, Deputy Doherty said they should visit Glenfin.
“It is a beautiful area of Donegal, but the issue there is that there is no access to public water for the households,” he said.
“There are 40 households there; including families, elderly people and children, and they have no running water at all.
“They rely on wells to bring water to their homes.
“There is no public water in that community.
“That is 40 homes left without basic public services in 2026, despite me repeatedly raising it here in the Dáil with the minister, the Minister of State and with Irish Water-Uisce Éireann over the years.
“It is a scandal.”
Deputy Doherty also said that island communities are being treated as second-class citizens.
“The water quality on Arranmore and on Tory Island is regularly extremely poor,” he said.
“On the island of Gabhla, off the coast of Donegal from my own community of Gaoth Dobhair, there is no running water at all.
“The pipe burst six months ago.
“The minister knows about this.
“I spoke to him about it and to the Minister for the Gaeltacht.
“I wrote to both of them over six months ago, and still there are no plans.
“I took the state to court, through the European courts, as a result of its failure in the Gaoth Dobhair sewage scheme.
“It connected 50 houses, and then it said there were no plans to do the rest of the scheme.
“It is simply unacceptable.”
Deputy Doherty said social housing, private housing, businesses and hotels cannot progress as a result of Uisce Éireann saying it does not have a timeframe for it.
“It is a complete lack of accountability,” he said.
“It is not acceptable in this day and age.
“It is time this ended.
“We need accountability and investment in rural areas and basic infrastructure in the year of 2026.”
