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According the Independent Deputy, Matt McGrath, residents in Burncourt/Fethard are being ‘taken for fools’ by Irish Water. Photo: iStock

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has said that assurances given this week by Irish Water in relation to the Burncourt/Fethard Regional Water Supply Scheme, are not worth the paper they are written on. Deputy McGrath was speaking after Irish Water delivered its Proposed Capital Investment Plan for 2014 to 2016, in which it proposes to deliver/progress over 380 projects.

“This is beyond the absurd at this stage. As far back as December of last year I said that the residents of Burncourt/Fethard were sick to death of ‘announcements’ and yet here we are again this week with Irish Water announcing its plans to ‘progress’ various capital projects”, Mr McGrath said.

He went on to outline the frustration being felt by those in the affected area, who have seen little progress since a recent allocation of funding.

“The document I have received is long on aspirations and promises but extremely short on detailed commitments. It is now 6 months since the funding of €12.4 million was allocated and nothing has happened. The people of Burncourt/Fethard are consistently being fed a line that bears no relation to reality,” he said.

“Irish Water can talk all it likes about a number of schemes which have inadequate water treatment systems being delivered or progressed, but until we actually see the on-site work commencing then we simply cannot believe a word they say.

“I also have serious concerns about how the allocated money for the capital projects like Burncourt/Fethard is being spent. To my knowledge there is a considerable and totally avoidable waste of significant portions of that money occurring through the commissioning of reports and bureaucratic nonsense.

‘ARROGANT DISREGARD’

“Why this is even happening when there has already been a considerable, exhaustive and transparent analysis of all aspects of the process related to Burncourt/Fethard is beyond me. It is way past time that this excessively drawn out process was finally completed.

“At the end of the day, the need has been clearly identified, the tendering process is over, the money has been allocated, and when you look at this project in light of those facts, it can only be concluded that there is a lazy and arrogant disregard for the people of Burncourt/Fethard at play here and that is something I will not stand for from this minister and this quango,” concluded Deputy McGrath.

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