National Development Plan gives hope to unsewered villages in Clare
- Minister reiterates commitment to Broadford
- Hope on the horizon for Cooraclare, Doolin and Carrigaholt
Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has held a meeting with Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien following yesterday’s announcement of the National Development Plan and received assurances for the unsewered villages of Co. Clare.
Under the plan, Irish Water is to receive a significant budget of €6 billion, while an additional €243m has been allocated to advance projects that are outside the realm of Irish Water.
In essence, this means that local authorities such as Clare County Council would be able to advance small, localised sewerage and water schemes in villages.
“I have met with Minister Darragh O’Brien this afternoon and he has promised me that this additional money that his department now has will be used to design a pilot scheme for small towns and villages over the coming months,” said Deputy Crowe.
“This pilot scheme paves the way for villages like Broadford, Carrigaholt, Doolin and Cooraclare to finally be in a position to have 21st century sewerage infrastructure.
“I expect of the Clare villages requiring this, that Broadford will be first off the mark given that land has already been acquired, planning is approved, and it is for all intents and purposes a shovel-ready project.
“Last month, Minister O’Brien visited Broadford and gave a very positive indication to PJ Mason and other members of the Broadford Action Committee that he intends to deliver on their local sewerage scheme – a project that has seen far too many false dawns.
“With hopes high that Broadford can be the first village in our county to benefit from this scheme, I hope to work closely with the other unsewered villages of Co. Clare to ensure that they too become beneficiaries in the second, third and subsequent years of the scheme.
“Many people find it hard to comprehend that, in this day and age, some villages are still without a sewerage system.
“I have been in many homes in Clare where sewerage flushed down a toilet flows into either sub-standard septic tanks or gravel soak pits at the rear of the house.
“This becomes problematic when you have a concentration of houses close by to each other and watercourses nearby that are used for domestic consumption.
“Lack of sewerage infrastructure also hugely limits how a village can grow.
“Villages like Broadford, Carrigaholt, Cooraclare and Doolin can look forward to a bright future once they have this type of infrastructure in situ.”
-ENDS-
