Angela Murtagh holding up an Irish Water bill which was sent to her mother Mary O'Brien who died six years ago
Angela O’Brien was left shocked when the hated utility firm sent a bill to her late mum Mary Jane O’Brien – who would be 96-years-old if she was alive.
The family of a woman who received a water bill for their mother who died six years ago have demanded answers from Irish Water.
Angela O’Brien was left shocked when the hated utility firm sent a bill to her late mum Mary Jane O’Brien – who would be 96-years-old if she was alive.
Angela said: “My mum lived with us in a granny flat at the side of our house. She passed away in 2009. Irish Water sent her a registration pack and we sent it back.
Mary O'Brien who died in January 2009
“Where is this company getting her name and her information? This is what I would like to know.”
When the bill arrived Angela said: “I was very annoyed and upset about it.”
“The registration pack (from Irish Water) did arrive first and then me and my husband Declan got a pack too. This means we got 2 packs and 2 water bills for this address.
“When mum was living here with us she was living in a granny flat that we built onto the side of the house for her. It is all one place, it is not a separate dwelling.”Irish Water installed just one meter for their house, with the granny flat, in Balreask Village in Navan, county Meath.
She said: “The fact that she got the bill.. well we can’t understand how or why.
We’d like to ask Irish Water why did she get the bill and what are they doing with her name? It is very annoying when you get the bill.”
She said her mum would not have paid the bill if she was alive, “There would not be a hope. This bill will not be paid.”
Her mum also spent the last two years before she died in a nursing home.
She and husband Declan Murtagh are concerned that her mum’s name and address may be linked to television licences.
She said: “The only thing we can think of was, she had to have her own television licence because there are two doors to the dwelling (so) we had to have two licences.”
Angela has not registered with Irish Water “and I don’t intend to. We have paid for water twice and three times over and I don’t see why we should have to pay for it again. Irish Water should be free.”
Declan said: “We are not looney left. We vote for Fine Gael last time but we won’t be voting for them again.”
I have no clue,” how Irish Water got her name
Michael Murtagh holds up a water bill that daughter Michelle received despite living in Canada for two years
Another family member, Michael Murtagh said he was amazed to find that his daughter who emigrated to Canada nearly 2 years ago has got a bill from Irish Water.
Michael, who is a nephew of Declan and Angela, said, “Michelle (25) has been living for nearly the last 2 years in Calgary in Canada. I could not understand how they sent out the bill in her name.”
He said, “I have no clue,” how Irish Water got her name and address. “I was dazzled how they sent this out in her name.”
Michelle is still getting polling cards at her Dad’s home in Navan but she now lives in Canada with partner Keith.
He believes the operation of the billing system is “by people who haven’t got a clue what they are doing. Where they get this information about people I do not know.”
I can’t understand where they are getting this information from. I couldn’t believe it to see it in my daughter’s name. I have not registered with Irish Water and I won’t be.
"It has been paid for already and even now it has been announced that your motor tax is going towards Irish Water. Why should we pay for it and pipes and everything leaking all over the country?”
He is worried that the unpaid bill will work against her if she ever wants a mortgage. “I’d be afraid if she happened to come home and they went to buy a house or anything like that. Maybe they would want this bill paid for a house she has not been living in for 2-3 years.”
http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/politics/irish-water-outrage-woman-who-5550638
