British troops help troubled Irish homeowner in the Algarve

Orla Dargan

 

An Irish woman with a home in the Algarve is still the victim of a nasty land dispute, but she is now getting help from British veteran paramilitary soldiers and the British Foreign Office to sort out an ongoing

water supply problem.

 

The original land dispute was so aggressive that Irish born and bred Orla Dargan feared for her life, and went into hiding from the person allegedly trying to grab her land.

 

Her many problems associated with the dispute are now focused on water, which she says the Faro municipal council ordered to be cut off by the local water company, Fagar, in September 2022.

 

“They even removed the water meter. I still have no water, and I am not sure why, despite the fact that in February this year I was officially permitted to finish the building project I had long started on my home, and had paid an extra €2,800 to extend the building licence.

 

“I had legal permission to finish my building, so I wrote to the municipality authority at the beginning of June asking them to reinstate the water. Nothing happened! When my architect called them, they said they were very busy! The elite British ex-soldiers now staying in my home are having to collect water from a public well in the town.” 

 

Ms Dargan continued: “One of the soldiers, Capt G, contacted the British Embassy. He spoke to the local British Consul who then called the Fagan Water Company.

Had this not happened, I am not sure how long it would have taken. I have heard it can sometimes take two years. Most civilised countries would treat the supply of water as a matter of urgency. It's a basic human right in the UN Charter of Human Rights. 

“In the meantime, I am not only very stressed, but all my beautiful plants have either died or I have had to give them away.” 

 

Ms Dargan bought her home in the foothills behind Faro after retiring  as a city investment banker in London. Her father was the CEO and chairman of the Ireland-based Aer Lingus international airline. He also served as the chairman of the world’s biggest building material manufacturer and distributor.

 

“It really is quite bizarre that an Irish woman is being assisted by top British retired troops and the British Embassy.”

That said, she had to be security-cleared in the UK back in the days when she was doing audit work related to Challenger Tanks. She also sat for five years on the council of the British Board of Agreement, the body that organised construction materials in the UK. At that time she was the head of corporate development at Hepworth Plc., a major UK construction materials group.

 

Given her distinguished career, it is not surprising that Ms Dagan finds “the whole thing with my Algarve home very odd and, very sad. But I am not alone. Other foreign homeowners are having dreadful problems too.”