A NEWBORN baby had to be taken to another house overnight as a result of a water outage in Adrigole, the Dáil has heard.

Michael Collins TD raised the issue of repeated outages and warned that the pipe serving the area was ‘creaking at the seams’.

Deputy Collins said residents were at the end of their tether after 18 bursts recorded between May and October this year.

He called for a meeting with Uisce Éireann to agree a clear plan, adding he and other representatives were worn out seeking straight answers.

He urged the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD to meet the action group and local TDs about replacing the pipe.

‘The water was out for a spell and somebody said to me recently that a new-born baby had to be taken to stay at someone else’s house overnight,’ he said.

‘It is the basics. I understand the stress people are going through because I went through it myself 20 years ago.

‘At that time, it was the council ... we had some accountability.’

He added that residents wanted ‘a clear water supply so they know they can turn their taps or shower on in the morning It (pipe) is creaking at the seams,’ he said. ‘We need a meeting and we need the new water works to be commenced there.’

Minister of State for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Emer Higgins, acknowledged the frustration.

She said water services were Uisce Éireann’s responsibility, with the Minister having no direct role in Uisce Éireann’s operations in Adrigole.

Deputy Higgins said the Department had made inquiries to Uisce Éireann on Deputy Collins’ behalf and had been informed that Uisce Éireann reported stabilisation in Adrigole since October 31st and had committed to monitoring, updates to local councillors and systematic fixes nationwide.

The Minister added: ‘Our water and wastewater infrastructure requires substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to bring the systems up to the standards required of a modern service and to provide for population growth and to build resilience in the face of climate change.’

The Dáil debate follows news that Healy Pass road in Adrigole is said to be in a state of ‘complete disrepair’ as a result of repeated water main bursts and repair works.

Cllr Finbarr Harrington (Independent) called on Uisce Éireann to take swift action at a recent meeting of the West Cork Municipal District. Cllr Harrington said it would be more cost-effective to replace the ageing infrastructure with new piping rather than continuing with temporary fixes.

Council officials acknowledged that portions of the repair works were ‘not acceptable’ and they would contact UE about the issue.