Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising the issue of pollution in the River Sullane near Macroom. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien.

The Deputy will appreciate that the operation of the Macroom wastewater treatment plant is a matter for Uisce Éireann, which, since 1 January 2014, has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. In turn, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, as the environmental regulator, is responsible for setting quality standards and enforcing compliance with the wastewater treatment directive.

The Minister has made inquiries with Uisce Éireann and is informed that the recent incidents at the Macroom wastewater treatment plant were caused by a combination of heavy rainfall, to which the Deputy alluded, and equipment failures. Remedial actions have been undertaken and Uisce Éireann is monitoring the situation. Uisce Éireann has notified the EPA and Inland Fisheries Ireland of all incidents accordingly.

The Macroom wastewater treatment plant is currently undergoing a substantial upgrade worth in excess of €21 million. This will address the existing wastewater infrastructure, which is regarded as overloaded and outdated. These works are expected to take 24 months. With work starting in November 2023, the project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2025. The required work involves the decommissioning of the existing plant and structure and the construction of new plant, including a connection to the existing outfall pipe to safely discharge treated wastewater into the River Sullane. The upgrade works will bring the treatment plant back into compliance with the wastewater discharge licence and mitigate the effects of flooding. Further details on this upgrade project are available on Uisce Éireann's website. Given that the Deputy is from the locality, he knows them very well, probably better than Uisce Éireann.

The Deputy raised two issues, the first of which was that there was pollution that had been ongoing for some time, that locals were concerned about it and that they felt they were being fobbed off. The Deputy also spoke about polluters or, to use the correct terminology, potential polluters. I will bring the Deputy's concerns to the Minister.

I have no doubt that the ongoing development at the Macroom wastewater treatment plant, which is undergoing a substantial upgrade, should make a significant difference. Reading between the lines, when there is an old plant and a great deal of wastewater and smells after heavy rainfall, it is difficult for residents. The upgrade work will bring the treatment plant back into compliance with the wastewater discharge licence and mitigate the effects of flooding. For those living in the Macroom area and close to the River Sullane, this cannot happen soon enough.

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