A rates rebate is needed to support businesses in Ardfert that have been impacted by ongoing water outages.
That’s according to Sinn Féin councillor Deirdre Ferris, who says there’s been four breaks on the Ardfert water main over four consecutive days.
She raised the issue at the monthly meeting of Kerry County Council.
Councillor Deirdre Ferris says businesses in the North Kerry village have had to shut their doors as a result; she also says showers are broken, and washing machines have blown because they were turned on when water returned, only for the pipe to burst again.
The Sinn Féin councillor says there must be some consideration given to business owners as they are losing customers, especially hairdressers and small coffee shops.
Cllr Ferris says Kerry County Council must approve a rate rebate for businesses that can prove they’ve been impacted by water outages; she says this could then be claimed back from Irish Water.
Council management said more staff are being brought in to speed up the Ardfert works, but councillor Ferris says more must be done, including getting materials from other areas and additional staff seconded from areas that aren’t without water for a week.
Council CEO, Moira Murrell said they're doing what they can to highlight the difficulties faced by Ardfert and other parts of North Kerry.
She added a rates waiver was not in council’s remit, but where businesses have genuine difficulties over the course of normal rates operations, they can make contact with Revenue.
