*Photograph: Páraic McMahon.
A BULLOCK is closer to a holiday than Broadford is to getting a sewerage scheme, a county councillor has remarked.
Both Broadford and Cooraclare in December 2023 were included in a pilot €50m wastewater treatment scheme which has made little progress over the last two and a half years.
An additional €700,000 in funding for Broadford’s inclusion in the scheme was announced last November bringing the total set aside for the East Clare’s village to €8m. Yet the arrival of shovels on the grounds is estimated to be five to six years away as a timeline for the project has not been produced.
Such a sentiment has been felt in Broadford with patient locals now keen to see roads repaired instead of waiting for the digging to begin. “With the long-anticipated wait and still no commencement in sight, the village of Broadford especially the main street and out by the old Garda station needs to be resurfaced as soon as possible, as it is in very bad need of repair,” flagged Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) in a motion before the Killaloe Municipal District.
Senior executive engineer, Declan Flanagan acknowledged the road would have to be repaired. “While a delivery timeline for this project has not yet been confirmed, it is recognised that the condition of the road network in the village centre requires attention in the interim. In the interests of maintaining road safety and improving surface conditions, it is proposed to undertake a section of overlay works on Main Street, Broadford as part of the 2026 Killaloe Municipal District Schedule of Municipal District Works. The proposed works will consist of approximately 100 metres of road resurfacing within the village centre. These works are intended as an interim measure pending the advancement of the sewerage scheme and will enhance the quality and safety of the existing road network for all road users”.
Cllr O’Callaghan had previously requested an surfacing upgrade on the main street in May 2023. “I thought we’d look red faced if we went resurfacing the roads in Broadford before the sewerage scheme but we’re no closer to getting a sewerage scheme for Broadford than a bullock is to getting a holiday”. He added, “I still think we’re going to be five or six years away from seeing a shovel in the ground, we are where are. There’s huge concerns from safety in the village of Broadford, with the school and playground, there’s questions asked as to when we get a pedestrian crossing”.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) stated, “We are where we are with sewerage scheme, it is part of Municipal District plan to drive it on over the next five years”. He said a meeting was held two weeks ago between officials from the Department and Uisce Éireann but no update has been provided to the Council. “The officials and elected members of Clare County Council are keen to drive it on but we seem to be meeting a stumbling block”.
Multiple speed surveys have indicated there is no speeding in the village of Broadford, senior executive officer Eoin Troy told the meeting. “I fully agree that the village needs the overlay which we’re proposing as part of SMDW, it won’t impact on speeding levels, there is a natural speed barrier in Broadford”. Regarding the pilot scheme, he stated, “it is progressing, it is 15 percent match funded by the County Council, it is being progressed and worked on from our environment side”.
Observing Broadford is “challenging” according to Cllr Pat Hayes (FF). “Neglected is how you’d describe it, it looks like it needs a lot of work, we’ve been kicking to touch on it. I’d be hopeful Alan’s five or six years is not what it is though, I’d be hoping to see work on the ground in next year or two, we’ve budgeted for part of it and that might need to go up, I don’t agree on speeding, you might do all the surveys but the speed limits need to come down”.
Traversing through Broadford “is my way into Limerick and it is for a lot of East Clare people,” remarked Cllr Conor Ryan (FG). “100m of resurfacing work is very welcome by the community but they would like to see it expanded going forward”. He asked if it could be determined what is holding up the treatment plant, “the County Council is doing its part Cllr Hayes said for budgeting, it seems the local authority is ready but what is the hold up, why can’t Irish Water be forthcoming with an adequate response. How long will we be teased. What is the opposite of simply fantastic? It is not very good at all”.
Director of Service for Tourism, Recreation, Libraries and Cultural Services, Siobhán McNulty explained, “it is not so much that there is a delay, it is the system and processes that need to be delivered to have a fully designed system and to tender for it”. She said “cumbersome and timely” gateways must be passed for such large-scale water projects that involve environmental screening and consultants. “I can assure you Clare County Council is at the door and pushing to be through the gate, it is the nature of the beast that they do take time”.
Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe MD, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) replied, “we were told about all the gates at one meeting but we still have no timeline until they’re all gone through”. McNulty advised, “there are so many factors to closing one gate and opening another one so it is hard to be giving an exact timeline, the closer we get to detailed design the more we get to giving a timeline”. Cooraclare is also held in the “same esteem” by the Council, she confirmed.
“Do both go in tandemor does one slow down the other. How many gates have we to go through,” Cllr Ryan asked. “I am not directly involved so I don’t have the answer, they are pilots and one doesn’t depend on the other,” the Director outlined.
Frustration was building for Cllr Hayes, “It is fairly frustrating for the people of Broadford to be listening to talk about gates, we need to be timely on delivery, the Government need to open those gates, they are allocating so much money for infrastructure but if they don’t take charge of the permanent government and say how it is done then we are going nowhere”.
Director McNulty replied, “I am not attributing blame to anyone, we have to follow the process to avoid ending up in a judicial review and to deliver the project, that is the reality of large-scale projects in Ireland today”.
Cllr Hayes responded, “We need to change it” to which Cllr Burke quipped, “we will have to elect you to Government the next time so”.
