In lapidarian tones, the managing director of embattled quango Irish Water, John Tierney, uttered today: ‘Nobody has asked me to resign, and I’ll be here this time next year.’
While that assertion remains to be seen, the inescapable truth is that not a day goes by without Irish Water’s vexing presence in the media, usually for the wrong reasons.
Mr. Tierney met up with Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly today, to discuss ongoing controversies at every level of the bungling organization, and also the fact that Mr. Tierney’s position (and by extension, that of the entire board of management at Irish Water) is becoming increasingly tenuous.
When questioned, Tierney did reiterate that no one has asked of him to step down from his position, and added that ‘there has been recognition that this is possibly one of the most difficult jobs that anyone has been asked to undertake.’
Prior to the meeting, Mr. Kelly had said that Mr. Tierney ‘needed to be more prominent in the public arena to inform Irish Water customers of the work that the company is carrying out.’
Upon exiting Leinster House after his meeting with the minister, Mr. Tierney was addressed by a small group of protesters, who asked him about the bonus situation at Irish Water. He did not comment on the issue, but he did say ‘My staff are doing a great job for the people, and it is actually a humbling experience to see the work they’re doing for the people.’