Schemes still in limbo

Achill and Belmullet sewerage schemes remain in limbo

Neill O’Neill

THE contracts for the €7 million Achill Sewerage Scheme are ready for signing, but Mayo County Council are having difficulties in finding their €2.2 million contribution which is required for the project, as reported in last week’s Mayo News.
The Belmullet Sewerage Scheme also looks likely to remain on hold for some time, while a similar scheme in Aughleam is unlikely to start before 2010.
The Achill project, Cllr Micheál McNamara stated at last week’s Belmullet Electoral Area meeting, has been on Council agendas since 1978. He lamented that despite being told in May that a contractor was expected on site in July, no movement on the scheme is imminent.
Meanwhile, the up-to-date position on the Belmulllet Sewerage Scheme is that the green light has been given to buy the site needed for the receiving station for the project, but the requirement to obtain a foreshore licence remains an obstacle and a delay for the Council.
Senior Engineer with Mayo County Council, Brian O’Reilly, also told the meeting that the people of Aughleam on the Mullet Peninsula have been proactive in helping themselves up to now, and deserve a sewerage scheme. He added, however, that funding is unlikely to be available for this before 2010.
This project will involve constructing 2,400 metres of sewers, two pumping stations and a further 1,800 metres of mains and outfall piping. It will cost an estimated €1.58 million and will be built by the Council’s water services direct labour force.
The Council also hope to construct sewerage schemes in Cross, The Neale and Mayo Abbey this year, while Knockmore, Ballyglass and Aughleam will remain on the schedule for 2009.
“More schemes will follow,” Brian O’Reilly said, “as long as funding is forthcoming.”
At last week’s meeting Cllr Tim Quinn expressed his annoyance that Toorglas has been omitted from the proposed Belmullet scheme, as it is an area with development potential. He said it is embarrassing that raw sewage is running into the sea on either side of Belmullet, and that the town is in breach of pollution laws. He added that the scheme – like Achill’s – was being talked about for 30 years.                 
He proposed seeking a deputation with the Minister for the Environment and the Marine and Gaeltacht Ministers, to discuss the project.
Expressing their frustration at the continuing delays, Cllr Michael Holmes described the Belmullet scheme as ‘one step forward and two steps back’, while Cllr Gerry Coyle called the polluter pays principle ‘a tax on years of neglect’.
Director of Services in the Belmullet Electoral Area, Mr Peter Hynes, agreed that there are far too many stages in getting a sanitary scheme approved, and conceded that there must be a better way of doing things.