Mayo parishes struggling with cold reality of living without running water

It is disheartening to think that in 2023 households in certain areas of Mayo still lack the fundamental necessity of running water.

The point has been made by Deputy Alan Dillon who cited the communities of Carrowteige, Shrataggle, Portacloy, Porturlin and Clery in Kiltimagh as being among those still living without piped water.

He elaborated: "Their water is frequently condemned, rendering it undrinkable and unusable. Residents urgently require a new community water connection.

"Households are facing dire circumstances that is severely impacting on their quality of life and living standards.

"They struggle to reach adequate home heating temperatures, are unable to shower and face difficulties using their washing machines and dishwashers due to clogging of systems caused by bog water."

The Castlebar-based representative said last July the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage stated that his department expected to announce programme priorities and invite local authority submissions or bids by late 2022.

"It is May 2023 and no progress has been made on this matter. What is causing the delay?

"From discussions with Mayo County Council, I understand that both the local authority and many group water schemes are ready and waiting to act on requests for submissions for new water connections.

"The lack of communication regarding a submission process framework to fund bids for the new four-year cycle has been disappointing.

"The disappointment of people in north Mayo every time they ring our constituency office is heartbreaking. Many of the residents in Carrowteige have received pre-connection permission from Irish Water.

"Their proposal was submitted and reviewed and it was deemed feasible so the next stage of the process is where the real bottleneck is. Everyone should have an entitlement to clean running water."

Deputy Dillon asked the minister to review the connection fee of €9,000 per household and also waive the Irish Water connection charges, which are over €2,200, in light of the current rate of inflation in the costs of materials so that schemes can be delivered on the ground."

In response, Minister of State James Browne revealed Mayo County Council was allocated over €25 million, of which, to date, just over €8 million has been recouped.

"There are more than 50 individual projects of various sizes, some large, currently being managed by Mayo County Council that have yet to be completed," he added.