North Mayo communities urged to sign to 'once in a generation' opportunity

Households in an area of north Mayo have been urged not to let a 'once in a generation' opportunity pass them by and to sign up to be connected to the new water scheme.

Earlier this year, funding of €2.1m was secured for a new community water connection for the communities of Porturlin, Portacloy, Shrataggle and Carrowtighe in Erris where 198 households are currently living without a piped water supply.

The December monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District heard that design works on the project had commenced but there were questions raised regarding the connection fee for the project.

The amount due for the connection is €2,359 and Michael Heneghan, the new Head of Water Services with Mayo County Council warned that payment in installments is not an option for the council's finance department.

He described the project as a once in a generation opportunity for the local community to be connected to piped water and urged them not to overlook it.

“If you are looking at that connection charge, I would urge people to consider it over the lifetime of that house and property. I know it is not easy and we are going through a cost of living crisis but concentrate on the fact this is a once off connection charge,” he said.

The meeting was told that the target is to get 90 percent of the households signed up by the end of January but the final deadline date is in March.

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“I don't want a situation where we will go back to the department without people on board,” he said.

“Get out there and spread the positive word that we need engagement here. We have some positive engagement but we need an awful lot more so please get out to people and urge them to make an arrangement to get the money.

“If we get it we can get work started early next year and delivered. It is of critical importance to the community.”

Local councillors Gerry Coyle and Seán Carey both urged households in the communities to take up the opportunity to be connected to the water network when they get the opportunity. Cllr Coyle said it was an 'absolute disgrace' what people in the communities had to put up with for years and described the water as 'pure muck coming down from the hill'.