Councillors praise Uisce Éireann for major investments in Mayo
Pictured at the official sod-turning ceremony for upgrade works to the Lough Mask Water Treatment Plant in Tourmakeady earlier this year were, from left: Sean Laffey, Asset Management and Sustainability Director, Uisce Éireann; Maura Kilcommons, Head of Health and Safety, Uisce Eireann; Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD; Minister for Social Protection, Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary TD. Picture: Naoise Culhane
The recent investment by Uisce Éireann of €18.7m in the wastewater treatment plant in Claremorris puts the town at the forefront, opening it up to expansion, according to a local councillor.
Cllr Richard Finn heaped praise on Uisce Éireann at last week's meeting of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District.
“We get a lot of negative comments about [Uisce Eireann] but from my experience, any time I make representations, they are dealt with efficiently, courteously and positively, even if the works take some time.”
Welcoming the Claremorris treatment plant investment, he said: “It is not every day this amount comes into any town in the county and this will have serious ongoing positive repercussions for this town and general area. The present system caters for 5,000 or less inhabitants and this addition will bring it up to 8,000 inhabitants. That sets a target into the future where Claremorris won’t be in a situation that it can’t provide water and sewerage, which is a problem for many areas. So, in terms of building and development and expansion, it puts Claremorris at the forefront and this is a great, positive investment and a vote of confidence for the town.”
Cllr Adrian Forkan said Uisce Éireann was doing other good works in the area, with the main water treatment pipe from the plant in Kiltimagh set to be replaced over the next year and a half. Work has already commenced and the Swinford Road is closed to all traffic bar local. Describing the existing pipe as 'archaic", Cllr Forkan said Kiltimagh would get to the stage where there "would not be enough water for the town" if it was not replaced.
"So this work has to be done, and I hope people understand that will necessitate a lot of works but we are advised that these will stop on December 12 for Christmas.”
He added that the works will also result in a full section of roadway being replaced.
Cllr Alma Gallagher welcomed a €1.5m investment by Uisce Éireann in Ballyhaunis, which means that the Cloonfad-Lavallyroe area is now connected to the main line. She said this was great news for local residents who previously hadn't even been able to wash their clothes in the discoloured water.
Cllr Damien Ryan welcomed Uisce Éireann's investment in the treatment plant at Lough Mask, which supplies water to a huge number of households in Mayo, but criticised the need for multiple meter charges on some users and accused Uisce Éireann of “hiding behind the Commission for Regulation of Utilities” at a time when the utility has received unprecedented levels of state funding. He also noted that when Uisce Éireann was established, it held monthly clinics in Castlebar for councillors, but these were "wound down to quarterly", and councillors no longer have the same input.
Cllr Patsy O'Brien added that councillors had a lot more input in water services before the establishment of Uisce Éireann.
- Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
