This is a story from a Moville, Co Donegal resident outlining her experience of having been subjected to foul, abusive and threatening language and behaviour by Irish Water meter installers at her home. This resident has forwarded a video clip and an email to Irish Water headquarters.
I feel this is an abuse of my rights
Housewife viewing the unwanted meter on her property
This is a transcript from above video clip which we can't show.
"On the morning of Wed 29th April Irish Water came around to my home in and unmarked van. When I had seen them I came outside. I asked them to stop what they were doing. I told them that I did not want a water meter and that they were not welcome on our property. At that stage one of the Irish Water workers turn her fucking water off and see how she gets on. They then got into their van after installing the meter and left. The whole thing lasted about 30 seconds. I know that speaking from friends of mine that after they came to our home they then went up to Mill Glen in Moville and installed meters without any permission and without informing the residents. I would like to add that Irish Water sent me no notification that they were coming to our property to fit this meter. We knew nothing about them coming. They did not even knock on the door on the day that they arrived to install the meter. The time that we seen them with the meter half installed already. I do not want this meter. I feel this is an abuse of my rights. It's abuse by Irish Water and I want Irish Water to come and uninstall this meter. Then they can give me the relevant paperwork and the relevant notice and we can go from there."
Statement
“On the morning of Wednesday 29th April at approximately 10:30am an unmarked white van came on to my property in Moville, Co.Donegal and two men proceeded to install a water meter. I asked them politely to leave my property, I told them that they were not welcome and that I did not want a water meter, this is when one of the workers used abusive, threatening language and said "turn her fuc*ing water off and see how she likes it" The two work men had no formal identification and I was not informed that they were installing the meter two weeks prior to this date (as per Irish Water protocol) or even the morning that they arrived onto my property and they refused to leave my property when asked to do so.In order to somewhat rectify this situation I ask that the Irish Water workers in question be identified and dealt with appropriately. I demand a written, unconditional apology from Irish Water for this abusive and threatening language and immediate removal of Irish Water's illegal and unwanted water meter.”
Enda Craig local Moville Meter Action Group
Above and beyond the scurrilous abuse
Enda Graig spokesperson for the local meter action group said " this abusive Irish Water meter installer must be identified and dealt with. We demand an unconditional written apology from Irish Water for this abuse. We demand immediate removal of Irish Water illegal and unwanted water meter from her property. This has to be considered a very serious incident. Above and beyond the scurrilous abuse by the installer a number of points arise
1. An unmarked van was being used.
2. No notification is in breach of Irish Water protocol.
3. No I.D shown by the meter installers.
4. Foul and abusive language having been told to 'fuck off' by Irish Water meter installers
5. Refusal to leave private property when requested. This is a private estate.
This clip and details will be forwarded to An Garda Siochána in Buncrana, all national and local political representatives in the Inishowen peninsula and all media outlets.
Further details can be found in buncranatogether.com Irish water Insulting Inishowen People
This is the text from Irish Water's own promotional material. Clearly they are in breach of their own protocol.
This is the text from Irish Water's own promotional material. Clearly they are in breach of their own protocol.
