Independent TD Mattie McGrath has slammed Fine Gael Junior Minister Tom Hayes for what he claims as ‘having engaged in a willful and despicable act of public deception in relation to the Burncourt/Fethard Regional Supply Scheme’.

Deputy McGrath was speaking after it was confirmed to him by Glan Agua Ltd, the company that has been selected to carry out the work, that no contract has as yet been signed with them and that as far they understand it the contract is still progressing through Irish Water Internal Governance Approvals Procedures.

“Tom Hayes came on to Tipp Fm with me on the 21st of this month and openly declared that the contract had been signed and work was about to begin. That was a blatant falsehood as we now know. No contract has been signed and there is no sign anytime soon that it will be.

“There is no excuse for this level of bare faced contempt by Tom Hayes towards the people of Burncourt/Fethard and surrounding areas who had perhaps believed that help from the State was finally on its way.

“Junior Minister Hayes knows as well as I do that it takes two parties to sign a contract and in his interview he deliberately conveyed the fact that all necessary preliminary work had been done and nothing now stood in the way.

“While I am appalled on behalf of the residents, I am satisfied that what I was saying at the time has been vindicated and that the statements of Tom Hayes have been exposed as more of the same treacherous Fine Gael spin and deceit.”

Deputy McGrath says he is now calling on the Junior Minister to issue an immediate apology.

“Mr Hayes should apologise to the people of Burncourt/Fethard, and indeed the people of Tipperary generally, for engaging in such an odious attempt to swing a few votes his parties way at the expense of the expectations of ordinary people who have to endure a substandard water supply for too many years,” concluded Deputy McGrath.