Extension to public sewer essential to tourist haven

AN urgent call to speed up the long-awaited extension of the public sewer in tourist haven Killarney was made at the weekend.

The extension is seen as an essential part of plans to resolve pollution problems in Lough Lein, the largest of Killarney’s three lakes and centerpiece of the area’s multi-million euro tourism industry.

In recent years, there has been huge growth in the number of one-off houses and other developments (nearly all serviced by septic tanks) on the periphery of Killarney.

Surveys have shown, however, that many septic tanks are not working properly and waste is seeping into drains and streams that eventually end up in Lough Lein, adding to pollution in the lake.

An announcement last week by Environment Minister John Gormley of €7.5 million for the Killarney Main Drainage scheme, which involves the extension of the sewer to densely populated areas surrounding the town, was welcomed.

However, leading Killarney tourism figure Kathleen O’Regan Sheppard said it was imperative that the department gave Kerry County Council the go-ahead to appoint consultants for the scheme without delay.

“I understand the council’s brief on the scheme has not yet been approved by the department, but nothing can be done until that brief gets the green light,” she said.

“It’s essential that the council can appoint consultants quickly and be ready to draw down the money. Killarney lakes and their environs are a national asset that must be prioritised at all times.”

However, the department, which has had before it for the past three years a proposal to extend the public sewer in Killarney, has been criticised for not making a decision, but pressure is now coming on the department to approve the proposal.

Council engineers said that once they get the nod from the department, resources would be put in place to start work on the scheme.