Local Government Minister James Browne and Minister of State John Cummins have been urged to visit East and West Donegal to see how families are forced to live without basic water services.
Water supply problems across Donegal were raised in the Dáil yesterday by Sinn Féin TDs Pearse Doherty and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, who criticised the lack of investment, communication and urgency on major issues.
Deputy Doherty spoke about Glenfin as an example of the lack of action taken by the water authority.
“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,” he said.
“In fact, Uisce Éireann is so content with the job it is doing that it gave €21,000 in bonuses for good performances, no less, 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 County Donegal, they would see the reality of a litany of failure and a total lack of accountability.
“In particular, they should come to Glenfin.
“It is a beautiful area of Donegal, but the issue there is that there is no running water for the households. 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 called on the Ministers to come to Gaoth Dobhair and look at the projects that are stalled pending investment in water infrastructure.
“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.
Deputy Doherty also said that island communities “are treated as second-class citizens” when it comes to water, citing poor water quality on Arranmore and on Tory Island, while Gabhla waits for repairs to a pipe burst that happened six months ago.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn also strongly criticised Uisce Éireann what he described as a culture of arrogance.
He said public representatives are unable to contact senior decision-makers directly and are forced to rely on slow email responses, which is unacceptable for a critical public service.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn claimed the lack of direct contact breeds a lack of accountability.
“Staff used to be in the local authorities across the State,” he said.
“Now there is this centralisation and outsourcing to huge numbers of companies. There are big concerns about the efficiencies of that, of whether there is a much bigger cost now to do work that used to cost a lot less when it was under the control of the local authorities with dedicated staff. There are big concerns.”
Deputy Mac Lochlainn also highlighted tensions around the Eddie Fullerton Dam, arguing that while the project benefits Letterkenny, it is bypassing homes and communities in Inishowen.
“Uisce Éireann has inherited this fantastic dam, reservoir, project and water supply,” he said. “It is an absolute blessing but it is not developing around the hills of Letterkenny and it is bypassing homes in Inishowen. It is causing friction and concern.”
Deputy Mac Lochlainn called on Minister Browne to insist on respect, accountability and real engagement from Uisce Éireann with elected representatives and communities.
He said: “It is time for answers and accountability from Uisce Éireann. It is time for an end to the culture of arrogance.”
Speaking to the Dáil yesterday, Minister Browne said that remedial work on the water network will take years to fully resolve.
The process of establishing Uisce Éireann as a stand-alone public utility will conclude at the end of this year, when the link with local authorities will be broken.
Minister Browne stressed that rural communities not served by Uisce Éireann are very much in the picture.
He said: “Around 180,000 households are supplied through group water schemes, while many other rural homes rely on private wells and on-site wastewater systems, predominately septic tanks. These households and communities are a central focus of Government investment and policy. Under the NDP, €230 million is being invested in rural water services out to 2030 through a comprehensive package of supports.”
Ministers urged to visit Donegal to see ‘scandal’ of families without basic running water was last modified: January 22nd, 2026 by Staff Writer
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