A Wicklow Fianna Fβil TD has claimed that water authorities in Dublin and Wicklow have known for more than a year of a fire officer's report warning that water supplies were inadequate to manage a "medium to major fire".
The warning, which was compiled by the Wicklow County Fire Service, specifically related to the Burnaby estate in Greystones, an enclave of about 120 Edwardian houses, the water mains of which are severely encrusted.
Deputy Dick Roche (FF) said that he initially raised the subject of poor water pressure in parts of Greystones earlier this year, but was only told of the concerns of Greystones Fire Brigade this week. "The consequences for property and potentially to life are frightening", he said.
Deputy Roche says he has a copy of a fire officer's report, dated August 2000 and submitted to Wicklow County Council to the effect that the fire service could not rely on water pressure to fight a "medium to major fire incident."
The situation is further complicated in that the water authority is Dublin Corporation, but the work on the water pipes in the area is carried out by Wicklow County Council.
Yesterday, a spokesman for Dublin Corporation said that the matter of pressure "was entirely a matter for Wicklow County Council".
On the subject of fire safety, the spokesman said fire tenders carried "thousands of gallons of water" which could be used to put out a fire and were equipped to pump up the pressure from the mains supply. Wicklow County Council was unable to provide a spokesman for comment.
The corporation's reassurances have not satisfied Deputy Roche, however. "If full and comprehensive explanations are not forthcoming at Monday's council meeting, I intend raising the matter in the Dβil immediately", he said.
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