Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this important matter. This is a sad story of neglect and the failure by the Government to give a sewerage scheme to Achill Sound. This has gone on since 1991. Although that project was supposed to have been introduced 15 years ago, not a spade has been put in the ground. That is a disgrace. I wish the Leas-Cheann Comhairle could experience the colour of the sand and the smell. Raw sewage goes out to a sheltered bay. It is a disgrace that this can happen today. Where is the EU responsibility of Government to deliver on this issue and build a treatment plant?

The difficulty is that the polluter pays principle is now kicking in for a scheme that should have been put in place in 1991. As a result of this principle, the community is being asked for a contribution it cannot give. This community is treated as if it were on O'Connell Street with lots of footfall, enterprise and business. However, because the community has been neglected, there is no potential to satisfy the contribution required under the polluter pays principle. The principle has dealt a fatal blow to any chance of stopping this raw sewage from going into Achill Sound. I have asked about this before. Some sort of hardship clause must be invoked. There is provision for such a clause. Will the Minister examine this? The polluter pays principle works for an area that has the economic potential to repay through housing levies and water charges on commercial premises. The Government is playing a blame game even though the Council has made some effort. A scheme worth €8.9 million was approved and sanctioned in June 2005 and went out to tender. A massive local contribution of at least €4.5 million was required but could not be paid. As a result, the Department asked that the scheme be reduced so that the local contribution would be smaller.

The scheme has been downgraded to cater for a population of 1,200 instead of the original 2,000. Some areas, such as houses on the Mulranney road and Bull's Mouth road, have been removed from the scheme. This change has reduced the cost to some €6.3 million. However, the council maintains that its contribution should be 19% while the Department suggests 38% is required. This is calculated on the basis of an area that has pipes and a collection system. Achill Sound is unique in that it has no treatment system because it has been grossly neglected. At the price of €6.3 million the Department wants Mayo County Council to pay €2.4 million marginal cost, equivalent to 38%. The local contribution should be €1.2 million or 19%.

Today we heard the IDA has failed miserably to create jobs in Mayo. I ask the Minister of State to address this urgently.

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