Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney has called on the Government to provide financial support to group water schemes in a bid to prevent a repeat of the widespread service disruptions caused by Storm Éowyn in late January.
In a written submission to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Cooney highlighted the urgent need for funding—particularly for generators—to ensure the resilience of water supplies for communities served by these schemes.
Minister James Browne has responded, confirming that his department is actively working with the National Federation of Group Water Schemes (NFGWS) and local authorities to reduce the risk of future service interruptions.
“Following several meetings with local Group Water Schemes across Clare, I have formally requested that the Department provide immediate financial assistance to help these schemes safeguard water supplies during future extreme weather events,” said Deputy Cooney.
He continued, “Storm Éowyn had a devastating effect on essential infrastructure throughout the county and beyond. Power and communication lines were heavily damaged by fallen trees and high winds, with some areas taking days—and even weeks—to fully recover.”
“The resulting power outages led to widespread water supply disruptions, as water pumps went offline. While Uisce Éireann was affected, many Group Water Schemes also suffered, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without water. Members of these schemes have told me they were not prioritised by Electric Ireland, despite supplying large populations not connected to the Uisce Éireann network.”
Deputy Cooney stressed the disparity in support between Uisce Éireann and Group Water Schemes: “Uisce Éireann can draw on significant national funding to restore and strengthen their systems. In contrast, community-run Group Water Schemes lack such resources and rely heavily on volunteers.”
“I’m aware of cases where electricity was restored to homes within a day, but nearby water treatment plants remained offline for up to seven days—leaving thousands without water, including medically vulnerable residents on priority reconnection lists.”
“This issue affected many large schemes across the county, including one with 2,500 connections serving over 6,000 people, another with 1,700 connections serving more than 3,000, and a third supporting over 1,000 people.”
Deputy Cooney concluded: “I’m urging the Minister to recognise the vital role these community-owned and volunteer-driven schemes play in our national infrastructure. They deserve targeted funding to build the resilience they need in the face of increasingly severe weather events.”
