Irish Water has been branded “utterly unfit for purpose” by Cork North-Central TD Ken O’Flynn following the announcement of the earliest-ever hosepipe bans across several parts of the country.
Speaking after reports that record-high April temperatures had triggered the restrictions, the Independent Ireland TD described the move as “yet another sign of systemic failure.”
“It seems like we get three days of sunshine and there’s a hosepipe ban,” he said.
“It’s absurd. This is a first world country — or so we like to think — and yet we can’t manage a basic, natural resource without a panic.”
O’Flynn pointed to what he described as longstanding infrastructural neglect, particularly in his constituency. He accused the water system of being unable to withstand even moderate seasonal changes.
“People are looking around at burst pipes, sewage issues, streets being dug up again and again — and now this,” he said.
“Water retention in this country is a joke, and Cork is the poster child for the consequences.”
He further criticised the national water utility, formerly known as Irish Water and now operating as Uisce Éireann, over its governance and public accountability.
“This is supposed to be a community-serving utility, yet it operates like an entity that’s not accountable to anyone,” he said.
“Its priorities are skewed, its delivery record is poor, and its relationship with the public is practically nonexistent.”
He argued that the current situation demonstrates a failure to provide basic public services.
“At the most basic level, if a water utility cannot provide a naturally abundant resource to homes safely and without drama, then we have to start asking the hard questions,” he said.
“We can’t keep pretending this is working — because it isn’t.”
His comments follow a statement by Uisce Éireann confirming that legal restrictions on non-essential water use will come into effect from midnight on Tuesday in parts of Westmeath, Meath and Donegal. The so-called Water Conservation Order affects around 70,000 people and includes a ban on activities such as watering gardens, washing cars and filling pools.
According to the Irish Independent, this marks the first time in the State’s history that such restrictions have been implemented before the month of June.
Lough Owel, Lough Bane and Lough Colmcille — the respective sources for the Mullingar, Kells-Oldcastle and Milford water supplies — are all at historic lows for this time of year. Uisce Éireann has warned that without significant rainfall, the ban could be extended or expanded.
“The past 12 months have been drier than normal,” Uisce Éireann’s Margaret Attridge said.
“This means that some water sources which traditionally would have replenished over the winter period have not seen the same levels of recovery.”
The utility has stated that the primary objective is to preserve water for household, business, and essential service use.
In total, 11 additional water supplies around the country are currently being monitored, with tanker deliveries already underway in some locations to bolster struggling reservoirs.
Climate-related variability and population growth have both been cited by the utility as contributing factors to ongoing supply issues.