CONFIDENCE has been voiced by a Government representative that both Broadford and Cooraclare fit the criteria to be included in a €20m pilot wastewater scheme.
In Clare 52 towns and villages are without adequate wastewater treatment and are hindered from the development of future housing schemes as a result.
It is hoped that there will be good news for two of these villages. Both Broadford and Cooraclare were included in an official application by Clare County Council in September to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for inclusion in a €50m scheme for essential sewage infrastructure.
There has been much frustration since September with both communities anxiously awaiting an update. Clare TD, Joe Carey (FG) told The Clare Echo in February was due by the end of the month while Minister Darragh O’Brien (FF) had previously indicated they were working to a timeframe of December 2022.
Cllr Bill Chambers (FF) raised the matter at a briefing of the West Clare Municipal District on Monday where an invite was attended to all Clare’s Oireachtas members and was accepted by Cathal Crowe TD (FF), Violet Anne Wynne TD (IND), Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) and Senator Martin Conway (FG).
Deputy Crowe stated that an assessment of all projects would be completed within the next six to eight weeks.
Confidence was voiced by Senator Dooley that both villages would be successful. He said between thirteen to fifteen projects were submitted to the Department, “it is my understanding that only seven or eight of them were viable, the expectation would be that a good few of those could get underway this year. Discussions are ongoing with the EPA to make sure they are fit for purpose, I am confident that both Broadford and Cooraclare meet those standards, I’d be surprised and disappointed if they are not in the mix”.
At this month’s meeting of Clare County Council, Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) sought “an immediate update” from Minister O’Brien on the status of the applications, no such update has been received as of this week. Sending Ministers in the direction of Broadford and Cooraclare for St Patrick’s Day would have given a clear picture of the difficulties faced in either village, he said, “We have Ministers jetting out, I’ve no problem with that because they’re fighting for our country but it is a pity one or two could not have jetted out this way”.
“Rural communities are dying on their feet,” Cllr Cooney stated. “Communities are getting frustrated, it is not good enough,” he remarked of the ongoing wait. Mayor of Clare, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) felt “the people and the communities were well represented in the County Development Plan by the members”.
Ongoing delays were a source of frustration for Cllr Pat Burke (FG). “We had plenty of debate about this before at MD level, it is twelve months since Broadford were promised a scheme, it is so frustrating for communities. If there is money put aside for a pilot scheme, get on with the bloody thing, what is the Minister waiting on, what is the delay? The work that communities have put in to bring this to where it is now and we’re still sitting here in the middle of March waiting. For God’s sake, the Minister and the Department need to get up off their backside and get on with this”.
Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling admitted they had expected an outcome by March. “We don’t have to wait for politicians to come back to us, we can ring some of the senior civil servants to see what the status is,” he advised the meeting.
