LATEST: Tipperary County Council vote on response to Irish Water concerns

Councillors at today's sitting of Tipperary County Council have voted to ask Irish Water to ‘accelerate’ investment in Tipperary.

Fine Gael councillor Marie Murphy proposed the amendment in response to a motion put forward by Sinn  Féin's David Dunne and Tony Black.

The original motion asked councillors to vote no confidence in Irish Water, ask the Government to wind down the organisation and return control of water services to local authorities.

Cllr Dunne said that a vote of no confidence was the only way to hold Irish Water accountable in a public manner.

He said numerous unsuccessful attempts had been made to organise face-to-face meetings with Irish Water.

Cllr Dunne criticised the money spent on the rebrand of Irish Water and said the water system was “falling apart in front of our eyes”.

Tipperary man jailed for raping his sister after he wrote to gardaí to confess his crimes

He said the vote was one of confidence in Tipperary County Council, and it was time for Irish Water to “put up or shut up”.

“Water is essential for life, and the way it’s being treated is shocking,” said Cllr Dunne.

Cllr Black added that answers have been sought from Irish Water for years to no avail.

However, Cllr Murphy disagreed, saying water issues date further back than Irish Water and that it was ‘disingenuous’ to suggest otherwise.

She said she understands the frustration councillors feel but that the issues are caused by a lack of funding for water services by successive governments.

Her amendment recognised the challenges faced by Irish Water in delivering services in Tipperary.

It calls on Irish Water to ‘accelerate’ investment in Tipperary to ‘safeguard’ the environment and to facilitate the objectives of the county development plan.

The motion and subsequent amendment led to an almost hour-long heated discussion between councillors and officials from Tipperary County Council management.

Chief Executive Joe MacGrath asked councillors to consider what a vote of no confidence might mean for the working relationship between themselves and Irish Water going forward.

The amendment was passed 27 to 12.

As the amendment was passed, the original motion was superseded.