Irish Water preventing resolution of Rossadrehid broadband farce – McGrath

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has called on Irish Water to grant immediate access to one of its sites on which a broadband mast which serves Rossadrehid and surrounding areas is located. Deputy McGrath was speaking after local residents and the broadband service provider Ripplecom now enter the fourth month in which there has been no response whatsoever from Irish Water to their requests to enter the site to determine the nature of the problem affecting broadband signal:

“I can confirm that both Ripplecom and frustrated residents have been in contact with Irish water on numerous occasions requesting permission to access the site on which the Rossadrehid mast is built.

As of yet there has been no communication from Irish water confirming permission for Ripplecom to access the site.

Until they are granted this permission from Irish water they cannot improve the signal strength for customer connecting to this mast.  

This kind of intransigence from Irish Water makes a total mockery of Minister Alex Whites repeated assurances that rural broadband provision is a priority.  

Indeed what this incident extraordinarily demonstrates is that quangos like Irish Water retain veto like powers when it comes to effective resolution of rural broadband disputes.

The community in Rossadrehid deserve better than to be continually undermined by Irish Water in their efforts to establish even a minimally decent broadband signal,” concluded Deputy McGrath.