Story times ahead for Irish Water.

Across the country pressure is mounting on Irish Water on a variety of fronts, Wexford included, and as water charges kick in, question marks are being asked about the cost of setting up Irish Water, poor quality water in local housing estates, and loses through a leaking network.

A Gorey member of Wexford County Council has accused Irish Water of being, nothing but a glorified tax collection agency, after it emerged that even after a major new pipe laying venture 33% of our public water supply will still be unaccounted for.

Cllr Fionntán O’ Súilleabháin said that if the government had truly been worried about water conservation, then they would have invested in a proper national repair project instead of squandering state money on the set up of Irish Water.

“Water conservation projects, initiated by local government, are ongoing across the county,” said Cllr Ó Súilleabháin, who further commented; “Recent pipe laying projects were completed in Killenagh, Kilmuckridge and on the Clough road. Even when other projects in Gorey and Ferns are completed, we will still be losing an estimated 33% of our public water supply through leaks in the antiquated system.

“We are supposed to celebrate because the figure has been reduced from 51%. It’s still not good enough.”

When former Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Phil Hogan, first pitched the government’s idea for a water tax in 2011 he insisted it was about water conservation and not simply another idea for taxation.

Full story in THE GOREY ECHO this week.