Mayor seeks increased water allowance

AN Ennis councillor has appealed to the Environment Minister to intervene in the water charges row.

Mayor Johnny Flynn has written to Minister Alan Kelly, asking for Government intervention to increase water allowances for everyone, for an ability to pay clause in contracts, for the age limit of 18 to be increased to 21 for non-working children living at home, attending training or third level, and for fairer prices for supply and repairs.

He has also asked the minister to ensure that a new Irish Water Board immediately carry out a review of pay and conditions, particularly of its senior staff in what is a serious loss making business, a cost benefit analysis of specialist consultants/contractors costs reported in connection with the set up of Irish Water, a review of reported costs of repairs to consumers with possibly an option of spreading the cost over a multi annual period.

The Ennis councillor has also called for a customer charter and an independent complaint facility to be introduced, for targeted efficiencies and the resultant cost control and cost reduction measures to be transparently planned and introduced. This would deliver declared targets to reduce customer bills over a period allowing for cost increases over the next decade due to promised and expected efficiencies from the amalgamation of nearly 34 water authorities into Irish Water.

“Irish Water as presently set up and communicating with its customers and public representatives is causing concern and losing public confidence,” he told the Environment Minister.

“Irish Water bonus payments, pricing and repair cost structures is undermining the core reasons for the introduction of water charges namely cost and budget control, conservation, environmental improvements, among others, and there is serious public anger around the inadequately explained expensive start up costs of Irish Water in terms of specialised consultants and contractors,” the Ennis mayor warned.

He also called for fair and transparent access to adequate funding to deal with Ennis and Clare’s water and sewerage deficits such as water quality, leaks and low water pressure, lead water mains replacement in older estates in Ennis and Clarecastle, and a larger reservoir to cater for the town and its environs’ 33,000 residents.

He added that the two sewerage and waste water treatment plants at Ennis and Clareabbey are seriously undersized and provide inadequate standard of treatment prior to discharging into the Fergus River.

“This results in serious potential and actual negative impacts in terms of public health, environmental protection and lack of capacity for new industry/employment development. There is an urgent need to upgrade both of these. In addition Quin village sewerage treatment plant also needs urgent upgrading,” he said.

Councillor Flynn also appealed for the go ahead for the Ennis South Flood Scheme construction which would complete work on the prevention of flooding in the Ennis area.

“A back of an envelope calculation would put an investment of up to €50 million needed for the Ennis and district infrastructure deficits I’ve outlined above. Can we be guaranteed that this investment will be spent over the next years of Irish Water,” he asked Minister Kelly.