Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has never been to the Warren Beach in Rosscarbery, so I will tell her about it. It is paradise, with golden sands, and you can look out at Galley Head and the stag rocks off Toe Head. There is nowhere like it. It is very peaceful, and anyone who has discovered this gem of a beach will know how nice it is.

Unfortunately, on 15 August of this year, the beach was closed to the public because of a bathing ban. Usually when there is a bathing ban at a beach, it is because the water is tested and perhaps some harmful bacteria are found, but not so in this case. In this case, the ban was brought about following a report of a visible issue, when the lifeguards on duty reported raw sewage coming towards the beach. We can imagine the scenes. At this piece of heaven in an idyllic west Cork location, children were being called out of the water because there was a sighting of excrement and a large plume of sewage. There was significant disappointment among the locals who live in Rosscarbery and the tourists who were visiting this really upcoming tourism town at the peak of tourism season.

After that, we had a public meeting because locals, businesses, residents and visitors had said enough was enough and that we needed to get to the bottom of the matter. Previous bathing bans in the lagoon in Rosscarbery had been brought about following similar issues. We have asked Irish Water to look into what is causing the issue. Anyone who knows the area knows it is very simple: the wastewater treatment plant is not functioning. It is old, it does not have the capacity required and an overflow of sewage is clearly seeping into the water. Irish Water will deny there is any issue; in fact, it will say tests have proved "inconclusive". To me, that is completely avoiding the reality of the matter. Any of the locals, or any of the Cork County Council staff who maintain the wastewater treatment plant, will agree the wastewater treatment plant is not functioning and sewage is seeping over the overflow and into the water.

This is a very important issue. Rosscarbery relies on the warren and Warren Beach is one of its major attractions. Rosscarbery is an up and coming tourism village and a fantastic place for anybody lucky enough to have discovered it. However, this cannot go on. The village has a reputation to keep. The beach is stunning and safe. It has lifeguards during the summer. It is a safe place to bring a family but we need to sort out the sewage issue. Rosscarbery, the people who live in and visit it and local businesses need this wastewater treatment plant to be sorted as soon as possible.

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