Picket threat over sewage treatment plant delays in Co Cork

In 2021, Uisce Eireann (then Irish Water) gave five sewage treatment schemes the go-ahead, later adding two more to the list

Cork county councillors have threatened to picket Uisce Eireann headquarters unless they get a meeting with senior management to discuss delays to seven sewage treatment projects. The councillors say the delayed upgrades are stymying development in rural areas.

Councillor John Paul O’Shea, leader of Fine Gael on the county council, told colleagues it was unacceptable that the projects will not be completed this year — and could take many more years to finalise.

In 2021, Uisce Eireann (then Irish Water) gave five sewage treatment schemes the go-ahead, later adding two more to the list. The council had submitted a total of 35 projects, but the utility approved just seven in its capital works programme. They should all have been completed by next year.

'Disappointing'

However, county engineer Kevin Morey told Mr O’Shea that none of the schemes has yet moved to detailed design stage. Some are still at the first phase.

The scheme covers sewerage treatment upgrades in Kilumney/Ovens, Ballineeen/Enniskeane, Ballinspittle, Belgooley, Castlemagner, Glanworth and Lisgoold.

“This likely means all seven projects will now be operational under the current capital programme which comes to an end in 2024. What's really disappointing is there has been very little progress on these projects. I know for a fact not one house can be added to the existing waster water facilities in any of these villages. The money has been provided to them (UE) by the Government and the council has given them all the information required. UE haven’t put the resources into delivering this for the people of rural Ireland,” Mr O’Shea said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Bernard Moynihan suggested that if they failed to get a meeting with UE management they should picket the company's Dublin headquarters.

He won unanimous support to seek a meeting with UE management and write to Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien, who is in charge of the utility, and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe who oversees the money provided by Government for these UE projects.

Fianna Fáil councillor Bernard Moynihan suggested that if they failed to get a meeting with UE management they should picket the company's Dublin headquarters. He got the support of Mayor of County Cork Independent councillor Danny Collins and the rest of the council.

Housing

Mr Moynihan said land had been zoned in Castlemagner for 100 homes which cannot be built because of inadequate treatment facilities. “It will be at least 2026 or even 2028 before the facility is constructed,” he claimed.

Fine Gael councillor Kevin Murphy said the County Development Plan proposed 100 new houses for Ballinspittle by the end of last year. Not one had been built, however, because of the lack of a proper treatment plant.

“We are in a housing crisis and they [UE] seriously need to address this,” Fine Gael councillor Micheal Hegarty said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn said things were so bad in his home village of Glanworth that plans for new social or private housing could not go ahead. He said this was leading to the closure of pubs, having an impact on the school population, and the ability of GAA cubs to field teams.

“Our villages are dying before us because of these delays,” Mr O’Fynn said.

Assistant county chief executive James Fogarty said councillors had the full support from their executive, adding the delays are “highly frustrating.”