A Fine Gael TD is calling for greater transparency from Uisce Éireann, arguing that politicians are overly restricted from interrogating the heavily taxpayer-funded utility about its daily operations and service quality.
In a statement, Tipperary South TD Michael Murphy said there is a “very clear need” to strengthen the semi-state body’s accountability to the Dáil.
The representative highlighted the frequent hurdles politicians encounter when trying to get information from the water authority for the people they represent.
Notably, Uisce Éireann has an annual budget of over €1.8 billion.
“There’s a very clear need to strengthen Uisce Éireann’s accountability to Dáil Éireann, particularly as it receives enormous amounts of public funding,” Murphy said.
“This was brought into sharp focus for me when I tried to establish the reasons behind more than 11,000 of my own constituents having difficulties with their water supply. The answers weren’t forthcoming.”
Murphy argued that members of the public have a right to know the details behind water outages and when they will be fixed.
“People are entitled to know why their water supply has failed, what went wrong, who is responsible and, most importantly, when these problems will be resolved,” he continued.
“Our job as public representatives is to try and assist them in getting those answers. But with Uisce Éireann, they aren’t always forthcoming.”
While noting that the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee already oversees the organisation’s finances, Murphy argued that political oversight needs to encompass much more than just monetary issues.
“This is not just about how public money is spent,” said Murphy.
“It is about operational failures, public safety, infrastructure investment, service delivery and accountability when things go wrong.”
He also welcomed recent comments from Tánaiste Simon Harris, who backed the idea of using Parliamentary Questions to hold the utility to account in the Dáil.
“I am calling for a clear mechanism to allow Parliamentary Questions on Uisce Éireann’s performance, stronger oversight by the relevant Oireachtas committees and greater transparency when serious incidents occur,” he said.
“This is a publicly owned utility delivering an essential service. Operational independence cannot mean an absence of democratic accountability.
“The necessary steps must be taken to ensure Uisce Éireann is properly answerable to the Oireachtas and, ultimately, to the people it serves.”
Uisce Éireann is the national utility responsible for managing and maintaining public water and wastewater infrastructure across Ireland.
The organisation regularly handles supply disruptions and infrastructure upgrades, which frequently prompt queries from local representatives seeking updates on behalf of affected residents in their respective constituencies.