War of words over the impact of one-off housing escalates

THE Irish Rural Dwellers Association (IRDA) has hit back at claims by a Kerry County Council engineer that one-off houses are destroying parts of the scenic landscape and causing water pollution.

IRDA Kerry branch chairman John Kelly said the council “conveniently” made no reference to millions of gallons of untreated effluent in overcrowded villages in Kerry, where no plans had been made for effluent treatment prior to major developments in recent years.

He also said the council had to close a landfill site, near Killarney, which was only 500 metres from a river, after EU legislation deemed the site unsuitable.