Mulroy wants RTÉ probe into Newport pollution
Cllr Brendan Mulroy said the people of Newport have put up with enough.
A Mayo councillor has called for RTÉ to carry out a Prime Time Investigates programme on the situation surrounding the Newport Water Treatment Scheme, which has been awaiting an upgrade for years.
Cllr Brendan Mulroy also called on the council chief executive Kevin Kelly to arrange a meeting with the Environmental Protection Agency and Uisce Éireann to get a new plant up and running, noting that Uisce Éireann had recently revealed it will be 2028-2030 before the plant is delivered.
"It’s not good enough for the people of Newport the way the EPA is treating them. This is a very vibrant town, they get nothing from the council or government. I ask that we demand a meeting because if we don’t do this, they will be telling us it will be 2032 before they can get to it.”
Cllr Mulroy said raw sewage was being discharged into Newport Bay up to three times daily.
"Prime Time Investigates needs to get involved in this because it is intolerable what people are putting up with. I would be asking RTÉ to come down and do a programme on this. We have been lied to over and over for the last 10 years and more and been let down by Mayo County Council, the EPA and Uisce Éireann.”
Cllr Chris Maxwell said the EPA has a lot to answer for and needs "to be pushed and harassed to get that job underway immediately". He added that a grave problem was arising regarding the Louisburgh scheme.
“Twice we have had issues with it and we need to get Louisburgh done first because otherwise that will be a very serious situation in a few years. We are also right beside the sea and have a good fishing river and would like to see our salmon stocks maintained.”
Cllr Adrian Forkan welcomed the news that €600,000 has been allocated for the Cleragh water scheme in Kiltimagh, where villagers have been trying to get a public water supply for the last 28 years.
Director of Services John Condon said the Newport upgrade was originally scheduled for 2021 but it did not go ahead.
“The council do not have a role as such in that the statutory body for water services is Uisce Éireann, to provide a scheme and upgrade it, and they are regulated by the EPA, who used to regulate us as the water authority previously. They do inspections and audits, the EPA are well aware of this situation, we raise it at every opportunity but at the end of day it is is up to them.”
