Irish Water is refusing to fix blocked drains in Dublin 9 and 11.

The firm is not taking responsibility, which is forcing residents in the area to bear the cost and fix the drains in public pathways outside their homes themselves.

Fianna Fáil Leader on Dublin City Council Cllr Paul McAuliffe said it is a "complete farce" and a direct consequence of the rushed legislative process to introduce Irish Water.

He said: "It is absolutely crazy to expect householders to take responsibility for unblocking and repairing drains under the public footpath or road. I just cannot understand how residents and tenants using a communal drain could be expected to come together and contract a builder to dig up the public road and repair a pipe. It’s unbelievable.

-- Advertisement --

"While the Water Services Act says the maintenance for private drains is the householder’s responsibility, work outside the garden wall involving public pathways and roads was always undertaken by the Council. Since water services were handed over to Irish Water, the Super Quango is now refusing to approve maintenance work on these drains.

"50% of the water charges we pay is supposed to cover the waste water leaving our homes. But it appears that Irish Water is just happy to collect the money and not take responsibility for the pipes that carry the waste water to the sewer."

(CD)