Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, for being here to deal with this matter. I am concerned about the stand-alone sewage treatment facilities that were built right across the entire country back between 2000 to 2008.

Companies then ended up in NAMA and no one seems to have taken responsibility for the management of these sewage treatment facilities. It came to a head in the past two weeks in Castlewhite, Whitechurch, County Cork. Forty houses have access to a sewage treatment facility in which the sewers get totally blocked up. The local authority says it has no responsibility to deal with it but Cork County Council took action and came out to resolve the problems. I have been liaising with that council since then. Technically, the council is not in charge of the scheme. Irish Water says it is not prepared to take it in charge. We have been left with a dilemma as a result.

My understanding is that there are well over 400 such facilities across the country. Ongoing work needs to be done on them. They are not up to standard and we have no policy in place in respect of them. I was sent alarming photographs in the past week showing raw sewage outside and very close to the facility I refer to, which may well contaminate local streams, etc. I ask that the matter be given priority and that a mechanism be put in place between Irish Water and the local authorities in order to ensure that there will be a proper management.

The other interesting point I do not understand concerns the new houses being built in the area. They seem to be using this treatment facility. How is this happening when no one seems to be in charge of management or maintenance? This is one example. In County Cork alone, there are more than 20 facilities affected by this dilemma. No organisation is in charge, there are no management companies in place and there are serious threats to the local environment as a result. Action needs to be taken.

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