During Leaders’ Questions, Deputy McGuinness held up a bottle of the discoloured water drawn from the homes’ taps and challenged the Taoiseach to intervene. He said no household in 2025 should rely on unsafe water.

The local authority installed the water supply 75 years ago, and the cottages built in 1949 still use it today.

Households Rely on a Dangerous Legacy Water Supply

The two homes receive water from an open roadside stream running off an upland bog. The supply remains untreated. Residents regularly encounter dark, muddy water with a strong smell. They have removed dead rats and badgers from the watercourse on multiple occasions. Health authorities have warned the families that the water is unsafe even for handwashing.

Public Water Supply Nearby but No Connection Approved

A treated public supply runs through the nearby townland of Fews, only 500 metres away. Local authority engineers prepared a scheme to connect the homes, including a bore beneath the regional road. Despite this, Uisce Éireann refused to fund the works and instead directed the residents to the rural well grant scheme.

Private Well Option Ruled Out by Experts

Deputy McGuinness said the well grant suggestion is not viable. Professional drilling firms assessed the area and found poor groundwater yield along with dangerously high iron levels. He stated that any private well would produce unsafe and unreliable water.

“This is not a private water scheme. It is a legacy supply installed by the State and the State remains responsible,” he said. “These households are entitled to the same clean, safe, treated water that others receive.”

McGuinness Calls for Immediate Government Intervention

Deputy McGuinness said he has raised the issue with the Minister for Housing and with Uisce Éireann and will continue to pursue it. He urged the Taoiseach to intervene and instruct Uisce Éireann to proceed with the connection.

Responding, the Taoiseach said he cannot step into every case and called on the local authority and Uisce Éireann to resolve the issue together.

For the latest Waterford News and Sport, tune into WLR News on the hour and download the WLR App for news on demand.