Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Our Lady of Lourdes nursing home has over 100 patients and wants to expand but cannot do so without a proper sewerage facility. Its plans are being held up. There are many houses along the route. The purpose of the scheme is to take the sewage from Kilcummin down to the Killarney treatment plant, which is operating at just 56% of capacity and so would be well capable of coping. There are 750 people in the village catchment, approximately 250 houses and up to 100 more along the route. Inland Fisheries Ireland took the matter to An Board Pleanála and, happily, planning permission has come through.

The history of this is that funding was made available in 2008. Contracts were in place at that time but the contractor was removed because of things that happened on another scheme with which he was involved. The Department of Finance then stipulated the use of a new type of tender whereby would-be contractors would have to tender an all-in price. This created difficulties for the local authority and delayed the tender process. Before we knew where we were, the country and the scheme both went down the Swanee. We have been fighting for the scheme ever since.

The state of the road where the sewerage pipe is to be laid is causing the people of Kilcummin much distress. It was to have been resurfaced in 2004 and there was money for that. However, this was put back until the sewerage scheme project was carried out. Year after year, we have had money for the road but it is still in a shocking state. Every councillor - myself, when I was on the council, my daughter Maura, who has been there since, and all the other elected representatives in the area - has had deputations in about the state of the road. The people of Kilcummin are entitled to good road up to their doors in the very same way as the people in Dublin 4. We are now informed that maybe it will go ahead next year. I am asking the Government to ensure that this scheme is progressed next year, to liaise with Irish Water and to ensure that the people of Kilcummin get what they are entitled to.

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