Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has warmly welcomed an investment of €1.4 billion of taxpayers money in Uisce Éireann in last week’s budget. She has raised concerns on some aspects of their spending saying it sends the wrong message to small businesses who are paying water rates.
She described investment in Uisce Éireann as a vital part of fixing our housing crisis but has raised concerns about how public money is being spent and has called on any public body in receipt of tax payers money to “spend the money as if it were their own”
Ní Mhurchú made her comments as figures released to her by Irish Water showed the utility spent almost nine and a half million euros on compensating members of the public who have sustained injuries or had property damaged by Irish Water between 2020 and July 2025. This is the first time that Uisce Éireann have released these figures.
Ní Mhurchú also received figures from Uisce Éireann, under FOI, that reveal that Irish Water spent €364,422.57 in three years on external public relations consultants, even though Uisce Éireann has their own in-house media and communications team.
The same FOI request also reveals that Irish Water spent €103,833.50, exclusive of VAT, in 2024 alone on media monitoring services to monitor what media are saying about Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann also spent €25,000 in 2024, exclusive of VAT, on a media distribution software platform to distribute their press releases to a range of media contacts.
| Description | Period | € Amount |
| Compensation paid | 2020 – July 2025 | €9,324,210.63 |
| External PR consultants | 2022 alone | €69,355.50 |
| External PR Consultants | 2023 alone | €157,245.29 |
| External PR Consultants | 2024 alone | €137,821.78 |
| Media Monitoring | 2024 alone | €103,833.50 + VAT |
| Media distribution software | 2024 alone | 24,999 + VAT |
According to Ní Mhurchú, we need a whole new approach within public bodies as to how they are spending taxpayers’ money.
“The public need confidence that the vast sums of taxpayers’money the government are investing in Uisce Éireann and other public bodies are not wasted. That means every euro is spent wisely – and hopefully, in this case, on water infrastructure, not on PR, compensation or other expenditure that could be construed as wasteful.”
“10 million euros would pay for up to 200 extra Gardaí for a year policing our streets. That is how we have to look at this spending. I understand that some level of spending is inevitable on these items but the almost 10 million of spending that I have uncovered feels like the tip of the ice berg and I would call on Uisce Éireann to respect taxpayers and ensure that every single penny at the utility is spent frugally and wisely”
Ní Mhurchú welcomed investment in water infrastructure and described it as an essential part of the solution to our housing crisis.
“There are towns in my constituency where hundreds of houses are being held up because of a lack of a treatment plant or insufficient water infrastructure. That needs to change, and I welcome an investment package in Uisce Éireann. This will facilitate the development of more desperately needed housing”
Ní Mhurchú described any level of waste at Uisce Éireann as a slap in the face to small cafes, gyms, and community centred businesses who struggle to pay their water bills every month.
She referenced that the European Court of Auditors, ECA, may be required to look at the spending if EU funds were involved. The ECA audits EU spending and produces annual and thematic reports that identify poor value for money.
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