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INDEPENDENT GALWAY WEST TD Catherine Connolly gave a passionate speech in the Dáil during Leaders’ Questions today, imploring Government to recognise the issue of wastewater in the Corrib estuary region in Co Galway.
Connolly said Government needs to do away with the “empty rhetoric” that Galway can become the next metropolis of Ireland if it continues to refuse the provision of a wastewater treatment plant for areas within the county.
She added that the lack of this “basic infrastructure” and upgrades to water pipes is what is preventing Galway developing, despite the existing plants to boost the city’s population by more than 120,000.
Galway has been in need of a wastewater treatment plant for some time, particularly for the areas of Merlin Park, Órán Mór, Bearna and An Cheathrú Rua which have been experiencing problems with local water pumping stations.
The need to upgrade the existing pipes under the Corrib estuary was first flagged in 2007 but funding was not provided to Galway City Council as, at the time, Irish Water was being established.
A number of problems have arisen since, including, most recently, 70 incidents where the EPA had witnessed human waste present and flowing in the Corrib within six months.
Earlier this month, local media in Galway also reported that sewage was being transported and hauled by tanker trucks as the pumping station in Bearna was incapable of carrying out its necessary tasks.
Connolly claimed that Irish Water have yet to resolve the issue, despite it being a known problem for 17 years, and she has had to bring the issue to the Dáil again as a result.
According to a recent report, read out by Connolly in the Dáil earlier today, the existing pipes under the estuary are at in “imminent danger of collapse” and are suffering from a number of structural defects.
She described the “kearnal” of the problem being at the wastewater treatment plant near Mutton Island. She detailed that while the plant has “plenty of capacity”, the collection network is stretched.
Similar accounts are detailed in local media reports from last year, when the Connaught Tribune reported that workers had confirmed that the pumping stations could not handle the volume of wastewater and rain needed to be pumped back to Mutton Island.
During her address to the Dáil today, she implored Green Party Leader Roderic O’Gorman – answering on behalf of the Taoiseach – to acknowledge the issue and the defects with Galway’s wastewater facilities and take a “hands-on” approach to resolving the issue.
Answering, O’Gorman said he “strongly believes” that Irish cities should be allowed to grow and added that he would be raising the issue with Community Development Minister Joe O’Brien.
He said that key infrastructure, such as wastewater treatment plants and upgrades to existing pipes, are the centre of improving Irish cities and believes that Irish Water has had a positive impact on such developments.
He added that he and Connolly would agree that more investment is needed so that Irish Water can carried out its work, which he said was “hugely valuable”.
Responding to his answer, Connolly said: “Minister, I’m glad you’re here as the leader of the Green Party and a Green minister. I just want you to hear what I’m actually saying.
“The two main pipes taking the sewage out of through the estuary of the Corrib, one is in imminent danger of collapse. Could you imagine what that means for the area along, for health and for housing?
“Back in 2007 it was recognised that we needed a syphon or a new pipe – nothing has happened. Back in 2009 it was recognised that we needed a new wastewater treatment plant on the east of the city [...] nothing has happened.”
Connolly reiterated that her point was to call on the Government to “stop the empty rhetoric about development and growing Galway city without the infrastructure” and instead recognise the issue.
She called for “leadership and vision” from those in Government.
“Telling me about your good will, I appreciate very much. But I spent 17 years of my life at local authority level, I saw them apply for the money, recognising the faults that were there while Governments were busy setting up Irish Water and then not giving any steer to Irish Water, not giving the resources, a hands-off approach -”
Connolly, who is also the Leas Ceann Comhairle, had recognised she had ran out of time and remarked that she was “not used to being overtime”. The Dáil allowed the Independent TD to complete her point and she called for action by Government.
O’Gorman said he was “absolutely happy to bring those concerns forward” but reiterated his point that additional capital funding to Irish Water will allow the “immediate environmental and public health risks be addressed”.
He added: “It will also allow the necessary water infrastructure to be put in place to enable that level of development – that you and I both want to see across Galway – be maintained and be enhanced.”
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The Irish people need to show solidarity with the unions fighting to protest the wages and conditions of ordinary workers. However, the unions also need to broaden their outlook beyond their own sectional interests and demonstrate solidarity with the people.
The ESB unions had the ability to stop the imposition of the Home Tax robbery dead in its tracks this year by depriving the Revenue’s computers of the electricity they needed to implement the Troika’s bond holder tax. The An Post workers had the power to stop the delivery of the ECB’s extortion letters before they dropped through a single letterbox.
The unions and everybody else needs to wake up and start thinking in terms of ‘We’ rather than ‘I’. The country is being looted to pay for the failure of speculative financial capitalism and we won’t stop this until we stand together.
That’s an excellent statement coddler.
Are u serious coddler …. Really u think esb and the post office should have, in order to “prevent” the property tax not so the job they are paid to do
Well said Coddler
Do you really think the country is something we can just plug out and then plug back in? Property tax was going to hit us in some shape or form
Still bleating on I see Coddler. Jim Larkin would be proud of you
I’ll take that as a compliment Josh.
L-plate,
They call it a property tax but in reality it’s a tax on Irish peoples’ homes in order to pay for the failure speculative financial capitalism.
Unions care about themselves and to hell with everyone else- nothing we about unions
A home is a property you clown
@ Coddler
Thought you might
Well said Shane… honestly some people really need to get real and act like adults when posting comments. Coddler is the type of person that blames the world for their problems..
Great I’m coming home on the 17th for Christmas, reminds me why I left
Glad to read that hope is appearing in this dispute as it will save the customers and esb work force The over paid union leaders should have done more to steer the workers away from this threatened action in the first place.
We had no power for 6 days over Christmas 2010 & we didnt picket the ESB… Why should they hold the country to ransom over a pension? Many organisations have moved from DB to DC and many private sector workers dont even get a pension. Due to the size of the organisation a pension is guaranteed for them, which is a great benefit!
The chance of the esb workers pulling the plug over the christmas is non existant . The public opinion is so against them that they would be crucified if this happened. Imagine old people freezing in their house. Forget it ,it won’t happen a deal will be done
Will there light at the end of the tunnel?? .Will there be power for the people?? The workers in ESB would wanna be right wa&kers to feck up Xmas for the whole country.Its yer problems ye sort it out…Just leave the switch on for Xmas
pure shame on esb if they pull the plug
Well put coddler. More orchestrated strike actions required to put this government on its knees. They should be worried about what we might do next, not the other way around.
Go on strike for gods sake… Yere pensions will be worthless in a few years time anyway
Actually the pension is on target to break even in ten years. It’s just greed that makes them want the 1.6 billion hole filled now.
No it’s not the filling of the hole it’s the definition of the scheme DB or DC
It is obvious that IF that email is genuine it was not sent by the ESB but rather by the sinister careless unionised workers at ESB. I just want to make public that I have changed supplier, I am no longer a ESB customer and you know what? I’ve got better rates too, I know it won’t make a difference and I am still vulnerable to power cuts on the 16th, but at least I have the peace of mind that I will not contribute to the ESB workers wages and pension. Lets all change suppliers, that will show them!
Juan,
Unfortunately you should have checked the rates before you changed supplier… The fact is that suppliers charge you a higher ground rate that ESB even with lower unit rates you still will end up paying more… ha ha…
Also, regardless who your supplier is a portion will still go through ESB networks for the maintenance, repair and service of the networks.
So you loose……
This is all a perfect example of how greedy unions and their members are, they are an absolute disgrace
If they go on strike then everyone should stop paying their bills! Cancel your Direct Debits people.
No need to be insulting Max!
Not an insult at all but a simple reply to a simple comment!!
Ogle = Scargill
During the 1930′s the English based Trade Unions had a stranglehold on our workers and one the the greatest but unsung of our Trade Union leaders took them on. Jack Cassidy founded the National Engineering Union which is now swallowed up in the mess that our unions has become. My father was involved and Jack was often in our house I picked up a lot from him. The most important thing he said was that ‘If they go out the gate then I have failed’ He hated using the strike weapon and there is a lesson there for the ESB unions right now. If you go out that gate then your union leaders have failed you.
Just fire then all it really is that simple
How crazy a comment is that… maybe we could move Ireland a little further south and get some of the weather Spain gets… it is really that simple…….
There are quiet a number of comments with correct facts and there are quiet a few with incorrect information.
I am a full time ESB employee. I will not be drawn into a them and us debate nor will I try to patronise people with ideas of me living on the bread line.
My salary is approx 50K. I cannot apologise for this as I submitted an application form did an interview and the rest is history. We all make choices in life.
I really feel for people without work in this country and the leaders of the country do little to improve things but they pay the German piper without a thought.
It must be hard for people to see why there is a threat of strike but when there is the real possibility of nothing for you or your family on retirement. To be honest its hard to think of that day. But without a resolve it will happen.
I’m surprised that the Government haven’t stepped in to resolve this, being the owners of the company. Staff in general have no faith in senior management for what they have done to the ordinary workers and in a round about way the public.
We all really want a resolve ASAP because if the lights go out in the country then our lights will go out as well. Even ESB workers have families..
Why should the customers be in the dark because ESB workers are having problems with their pensions?The customers are paying already for their fat wages.
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