Uisce Éireann pays €18m in bonuses despite ongoing issues in Kildare

A Social Democrats TD for Kildare North has asked the Taoiseach how he can explain to the people of Kildare why Uisce Eireann has paid bonuses of €18m to staff, despite regular water supply issues in the county.

According to Deputy Aidan Farrelly, who was speaking in the Dáil this week, the utilities regulator recently imposed a €31 million fine on Uisce Éireann for underperformance and failures relating to its leakage performance target.

Meanwhile, he said, Uisce Éireann is giving out performance-related bonuses to its management teams, with its annual report for 2025 showing some €18 million worth of bonuses paid.

“How can I explain to people in Kildare, who are so often without water, that the regulator has imposed a €31 million fine on a body that at the same time is choosing to pay 94% of its staff their full performance-related bonus, to the tune of €18 million?”, Deputy Farrelly asked An Taoiseach.

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The Taoiseach replied: “I will ask the Minister to engage with Uisce Éireann on that specific issue. In some areas, it is performing.

“The €31 million negative finding in terms of leakage is clearly an issue. It is not just to do with leakage. There have also been issues articulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, in terms of lapses to do with the operation of wastewater treatment plants in some areas.

“Overall, however, Uisce Éireann is investing a lot and getting a lot done in respect of the upgrading of our water infrastructure and in terms of newer wastewater treatment plants.

“Those getting bonuses could be the people who are performing well in achieving objectives the company has set itself. We cannot just juxtapose the two and assume the bonuses apply to those are not performing on the leakage front.”