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Irish Times
23-05-2025
- Irish Times
Creeslough explosion: Man (60s) arrested as part of investigation
Gardaí have arrested a man in his 60s as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the 2022 explosion in Creeslough , Co Donegal, in which 10 people lost their lives. The latest arrest brings to five the number of people detained for questioning by members of the Garda investigation team. The suspected gas explosion claimed the lives of people in an Applegreen service station, and apartments on the same site, in October, 2022. The man being held on Friday was arrested for questioning about alleged offences contrary to Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. He was being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, which allows for gardaí to question people for up to 24 hours without charge. READ MORE The man must be released without charged, or charged with an offence, by Saturday morning. However, that timeline could be extended to factor in any breaks afford to the man, such as to rest or receive any medical treatment. The investigation is being led by gardaí in the Donegal division, who are being assisted by Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the force's serious crimes squad. The Health & Safety Authority and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities have also been aiding the criminal investigation, which is being led from an incident room at Milford Garda station. From the start of the investigation, gardaí were focused on the gas system at the buildings on the site, which includes an apartment block. While there is no suggestion the gas system was tampered with, or any actions were undertaken to deliberately damage it, every aspect of how it was run and was maintained has been examined. Ten people died in the explosion at the Applegreen service station on October 7th, 2022. Those who killed in the blast were aged between five and 59. They were Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe; Catherine O'Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan; fashion student Jessica Gallagher; Celtic fan Martin McGill; James O'Flaherty from Sydney; shop worker Martina Martin; carpenter Hugh 'Hughie' Kelly; and Leona Harper. In March, 2024, two men were detained in connection with the incident, marking the first arrests in the case. Two months later, a man and woman (40s) were arrested and questioned in relation to the fatal explosion. Following those arrests and the releases of the arrested people, gardaí said a file would be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Garda inquiry has been focused on evidence-gathering and putting some of that evidence to persons of interest in the case after they have been detained and questioned under caution.
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Lost water supply in Republic ‘three times' longer in duration than UK's worst areas
Water outages in Ireland last three times longer on average than the worst-performing comparisons in England and Wales, the utility regulator has found. In filings published on Wednesday, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) outlined a range of concerns and criticised Uisce Éireann 's performance on several fronts. In its performance assessment framework, the CRU found that in 2023, the average minutes of lost supply per property was 555 – or 9¼ hours – compared to an average of between two minutes in the area covered by Portsmouth Water and 182 minutes in the South East Water area in the United Kingdom. While the CRU recognised British operators benefit from greater investment over a longer period, it was 'still concerned that the minutes of lost supply reported by Uisce Éireann is three times higher than the worst-performing metric reported in England and Wales'. READ MORE It said it was 'very concerned' about the number of people served by supplies on boil-water notices for more than 30 days, where it saw a 'significant increase' to 62,645 in 2023 compared to 24,196 in 2022. Uisce Éireann said this increase was in part due to greater testing. Similarly, the CRU was 'very concerned' about the number of once-off incidents relating to wastewater, which increased to 1,141 in 2023 from 1,080 in 2022, a 'significant distance' from targets. Uisce Éireann said weather events and 'network issues' cause this number to fluctuate. It outlined that the CRU is 'very concerned' that Uisce Éireann has failed to report data on several metrics, including security of water supply, leakage and sewer incidents. It has written to the utility demanding fresh data no later than the end of June. It said failure to provide the information 'hinders' the ability to understand performance, rendering it non-compliant with regulations. The CRU report details the performance of Uisce Éireann, incorporating data from 2023, the most up-to-date available. It says that public reporting acts as a 'reputational incentive' for the utility. Uisce Éireann said the report recognised progress in many areas, provided positive findings and noted progress on several fronts. It said that since 2023, boil-water notices and raw-sewage discharges had reduced while drinking water quality had also been improved. It said it would provide information requested 'as soon as possible', adding that 'sustained investment' is required for many decades to offset underinvestment. The utility highlighted the State's 'unique context', including the dispersed and fragmented nature of water. Uisce Éireann called for planning and consenting reforms to achieve its targets. The CRU said it welcomed 'significant investment' by Uisce Éireann and recognised 'urgency of progress' in the utility's transformation programme. 'The CRU looks forward to seeing greater evidence of a more effective and efficient national water utility as the programme concludes.'
