Claims road repairs after Uisce Éireann works are costing Tipperary County Council millions of euros
Amid claims that road repairs in Tipperary after Uisce Éireann activity are costing the local authority millions of euros, the utility has said it works closely with council roads engineers and carries out reinstatement in line with requirements.
Speaking out about the issue, Michael Scully, district engineer in the Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District, said that the council had engaged with the utility numerous times without satisfaction.
"There’s a section of Uisce Éireann who deal with reactive maintenance, or burst mains or any leaks like that. They have the authority, as it stands, to go onto a road, open it up, and replace it as they wish,” Mr Scully said.
"I don’t know when they’re doing it, I get no notification, they dig up the road, and the first time I see it is when I drive over it, or when one of the councillors highlights it to me."
Under current arrangements, Uisce Éireann contractors are responsible for reinstating road surfaces after works, though councillors across Tipperary have previously raised concerns about the quality of repairs.
"They come in, they reinstate it as they want, normally quite quickly, and then they’re gone. This is something that’s happening across the county and it’s costing us into the millions to repair this,” Mr Scully said.
Tipperary County Council has no authority over it, he added, saying that discussions with Uisce Éireann had led to nothing.
"I can’t enforce it, I have no teeth there at all. They come and go and they do what they want, we’ve tried to engage and we’ve engaged with them at the highest level, and we’re getting nothing back,” he said.
"It’s a huge frustration on our parts as well, because with the weather and with everything else that’s happening, the roads are bad enough as it is, and this isn’t helping it. We’re fighting a losing battle on it, so I share your frustrations on that one, and I wish I could do more,” he added.
Similar concerns have also been raised by councillors in other parts of the county, with roads left in a “desperate” state after Uisce Éireann contractors.
At a past meeting of the Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel district, councillor John O’Heney said that he could think of a specific example in Tipperary town.
"One example might be Bridge Street here in Tipperary town, which is in a desperate state at the minute, I don’t know how many times that’s been dug up in the last two years, but it’s in an awful state now, and it’s an awful eyesore,” he said at the time.
In response, Uisce Éireann said that the utility continue to work with council engineers to ensure roads are left in good condition.
"As part as of our routine planning for critical water main replacement projects, Uisce Éireann work closely with Tipperary County Council roads engineers to ensure appropriate planning and compliance with associated regulatory requirements.
"Following the successful installation of water infrastructure, appropriate reinstatement works are carried out as required, in consultation with the local authority,” they said in a statement.
"Through the ongoing delivery of the water main replacement project in Carrick on Suir, Uisce Éireann have maintained close collaboration and working relationships with the relevant engineers as required,” they added.