Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)

I take the opportunity today to raise an issue with respect to wastewater treatment in the village of Shanagarry in Cork East. Housing estates such as Old Garden in Shanagarry no longer have wastewater systems that are fit for purpose. These were originally installed by the developer as a temporary measure but they remain in place.

The developer may have encountered difficulties in the interim and in cases such as Old Garden, the wastewater system has fallen into considerable disrepair. This has resulted in an unsafe environment for residents with the constant possibility of bad smells and leakage. I understand that Uisce Éireann’s currently policy precludes consideration of estates served by this type of infrastructure, which is not connected to its network. This has become commonplace in rural villages, such as Shanagarry, in the absence of a new wastewater treatment plant. As such, I ask the Taoiseach to engage with Uisce Éireann to see what can be done in the short term for the residents of Old Garden and what treatment plant development plans can be progressed for Shanagarry in the long term.

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