Mac Lochlainn on Buncrana water issue: 'I couldn't get speaking to an actual human'

A Donegal deputy has said that dealing with Uisce Éireann is next to impossible in light of recent events in his local town of Buncrana.

Sinn Féin’s Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has raised issues with the government in the Dáil about the continual failure of Uisce Éireann and his inability to speak to someone.

"I'll give you one example of my home area of Buncrana over the last number of weeks,” he said. “There was a water supply issue that knocked out most of the town from the water connection. I can't get speaking to an actual human being to get an update. I have to send an email and I wait days for a response.

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"Back in the day, I'd lift the phone to a member of Donegal County Council, we'd have a good conversation and he'd give a proper update. The Eddie Fullerton dam. My predecessor, Eddie Fullerton, fought for it. It's a fantastic resource; it passes through my town. So you have the water disconnected, the boil water notice and we could be using that water.

"I can't get answers from Uisce Éireann to these questions. The organisation is not fit for purpose. I believe that is by design rather than accident."

Speaking to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Teachta Pearse Doherty said: "We have parts of Donegal where, in one community, 40 houses have no running water. These are people who rely on wells as a source of water. That’s a disgrace in 2026 and a dereliction of duty by the government.

"Our island communities in Donegal are also well used to being treated like second-class citizens when it comes to water. In Arranmore and Tory, water quality is regularly extremely poor. In Gabhla, there is no running water at all – the pipeline was damaged back in July and Uisce Éireann have still not provided a timeline for when running water will return to the island.

"I have written to you last year, I've written to the Minister for the Gaeltacht and again you keep on telling me it's not your responsibility. That’s six months that islanders have waited for answers from government, yet nothing is forthcoming.

"In terms of sewerage, in my own parish of Gaoth Dobhair, in the heart of the Gaeltacht, we have been waiting for a sewerage scheme for over a decade.

"In 2015, I submitted a complaint to the European Commission about the State’s failure to deliver a sewerage scheme in Gaoth Dobhair – the Commission took infringement proceedings against the State in response and forced the delivery of a pilot scheme, a phase one of a scheme with 50 properties connected. Over a decade later, we are still waiting for the other phase to commence.

"As a consequence, we have blocked development. Hotels, private housing and social housing can't go ahead. Local services cannot expand. My colleague talked about accountability in terms of Irish Water, it doesn't exist".