Gaslighting Allegations As Anger Rises Amid Celbridge Water Troubles, With Claims That Water Tankers Would Not Address The Large-Scale Problem

Thursday, 11 April 2024 10:40

By Martin Osborne

Some locals can't shower or flush their toilets.

The magnitude of water issues in parts of Celbridge in the past week is so vast that rolling out water tankers would not solve the needs of thousands of locals.

According to Cllr Nuala Killeen, many fed up residents have been forced to contact her and Kildare North TD Catherine Murphy to put pressure on Uisce Eireann to resolve the issue.

Cllr Killeen said the fact that water tankers could not be deployed "is a huge red flag and action is needed immediately".

She accused Uisce Eireann of gaslighting locals and keeping them in the dark.

She said she believes that the company treats its customers "terribly" and that "there should be an escalation policy".

It is understood that Cllr Bernard Caldwell has requested a meeting between councillors and Irish water to impress on them the need to communicate measures and a plan of action.

Cllr Killeen said "there are vulnerable residents and small children living at the estates that need water. People can't use showers or toilets".

Cllr Ide Cussen also voiced her frustrations.

She said: "Thousands of residents have to go online every day just to see if they will have water. It's not good enough. It's frustrating and an unfair way to treat people. We are talking about one of the biggest towns in the county.We need to know: What's the plan? What's being done?"

She added: "When something this significant happens the proactivity piece needs to be front and centre. It's not good enough."

Kfm has contacted Uisce Eireann for comment.