GAA Club Wants Uisce Eireann Meeting on €52,000 Water Bill

A GAA club in Wexford Town is asking Uisce Eireann to meet them over water installation costs for its new clubhouse.

St Josephs were told by the utility service it would cost 52 thousand euro to hook them up to existing systems in the Whiterock Hill area.

The club says the facility has already cost 1.3 million euro and this extra cost is a blow to their members.

PRO Dane Tyghe says they're hoping their role as a community organisation will stand to them in this case:

"We're hoping that the powers that be will acknowledge that and help us alleviate these costs.

"As anyone can imagine, anyone in County Wexford who's involved in any kind of club or society, there's always going to be costs but when you're a voluntary club trying to do good for your community, it can be disheartening coming up against these roadblocks time and time again."

Mr Tyghe says it's not just their members who are waiting for this facility to be built:

"We foresee our clubhouse as being the hub of the local community.

"We're hoping to be a venue for classes and events of differing sizes going forward and we definitely want to reach out to locals in the area, welcome them in to use the walking track, join the club and play the great game of Gaelic Football."

The issue has been raised in the Dail by Labour TD George Lawlor who says the water company have failed to address their concerns.

Officials also say their problems won't be solved once they get connected.

While the delay is frustrating, they're also concerned about having to replace the water pipes in the near future due to the character of the area.

Mr Tyghe says getting up and running is just the first of their problems.

"We will be paying water bills and the water on Whiterock Hill is very hard, there's nothing wrong with it but you're going to have issues with kettles and boilers.

"So as well as having this huge connection fee, we're going to have the issues with the hard water as well."

The issue has been raised in the Dail by Labour TD George Lawlor who says the water company have failed to address their concerns.

Deputy Lawlor says he wasn't impressed with response he got from his fellow Wexford TD James Browne:

"What I got back from the relevant Minister was wholly disappointing I have to say.

"James wrote back to me and gave me seven email addresses that I should contact.

"When you're a Minister and when you hold that position, you hold a certain amount of power and influence and the notion that the Minister would have me refer the case and say 'it's nothing to do with me, go ahead on contact Uisce Eireann" is disappointing.

"If you have the inside track, you should run on it. James has the inside track here and hasn't used any influence."

That report was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.