*Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, walking through the Cnoc na Scoile social housing development, Ashline, Ennis, with (L-R) Anne Haugh, Director of Social Development, Clare County Council, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Tony O’Brien, and Pat Dowling, Chief Executive, Clare County Council. Photograph: Eamon Ward
MINISTER FOR HOUSING, Darragh O’Brien (FF) has defended progress on the addition of wastewater treatment plants across the county.
The Clare Echo understands that Broadford and Cooraclare are the submissions from the county in a €50m national pilot sewerage scheme.
While it is welcome news for Broadford and Cooraclare, it is of little consolation to the remaining 50 towns and villages across Clare without wastewater treatment plants. The knock-on effect of that from the County Development Plan is that the areas will be dezoned for housing and a bleak picture for the future of rural Clare.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Minister O’Brien stated, “There’s no padlock on rural Clare I can assure you”. He added, “Firstly you’ve got to look at the national situation, we’ve provided Irish Water with the largest capital budget they’ve ever had to deliver schemes and they are making progress. In relation to the unserved villages scheme, that is a scheme that I brought forward, we put that scheme out there and have received applications including from Clare that are being assessed. I met with residents in Broadford when I was here last year, I know there’s a number of schemes, I want to get this up and running whilst we’re doing the bigger work”.
“If you look at what else we’ve done to support people in towns and villages right across the country no less so in Clare bringing forward the Croí Cónaithe grant scheme, there is €50,000 grants for people to do up properties that are vacant and derelict, we have very significant interest in Co Clare in that,” the Minister added.
Feedback from the housing section of Clare County Council to the Minister has been positive. “They have been doing well on the buy and renew piece and taking other derelict properties and getting them back into use for social housing, things are moving here in Clare, it’s not fixed and it doesn’t get fixed overnight, I know you know that, certainly in relation to villages and settlements that don’t have wastewater treatment we need to grasp the nettle on that and I’ve done that, we’ve received applications in from Clare, they are being assessed right now and I had the fortune of meeting residents and listening to them last year, I’d like to be able to see that through”.
