Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)

I have raised this many times previously but the water quality in Clew Bay, County Mayo is being massively damaged at the moment. Raw sewage from Newport town is collected and stored in containers. When the high tide comes in to Clew Bay, it washes raw sewage on to the shoreline. Everyone is in agreement that a water treatment plant is needed for the town and it has been in the planning process for decades. There are significant issues in relation to the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, which is not meeting its statutory timelines, and indeed Uisce Éireann. It appears that what is happening is a letter-writing club between the two organisations, with no progress being made. I have raised this previously and I ask the Taoiseach to intervene. We cannot have critical infrastructure delayed for decades as a result. I have raised this with Uisce Éireann and MARA but it is time the Government intervened and injected some urgency into this.

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