Mayo councillor calls on colleagues to march on Uisce Éireann HQ

Mayo councillors have been encouraged to march on the headquarters of Uisce Éireann in order to protest against the perceived lack of action in delivering a new wastewater treatment plant in Newport.

Westport-based Fianna Fáil councillor Brendan Mulroy made the proposal at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council yesterday after describing the wait for a new treatment plant in the west Mayo town as 'farcical'.

Raw sewage from the existing holding plants in Newport continues to flow into Clew Bay and according to an EPA Urban Wastewater Treatment report published last October, the plant is not expected to be upgraded by Uisce Éireann until 2030 at the earliest.

Cllr Mulroy along with the late Neill O'Neill was one of the people to highlight the problem of raw sewage going into the bay in 2016. He said that despite the issues being raised in Dáil Éireann and the European Parliament there has been no progress and claimed Uisce Éireann were 'getting away scot-free'.

READ: Delays expected as Mayo County Council announces roadworks

“The reality is it is so frustrating and there is nobody really listening. It has been brought across to Europe and to Dáil Éireann and yet Irish Water get away with it scot-free.

“It is just not good enough. How can we help the people of Newport when Irish Water is answerable to nobody. It has gone to the European parliament and Dáil Éireann and hasn't worked out and came up in front of us numerous times and hasn't worked out.

Protest

“I am going to propose that the elected members of Mayo County Council along with the officials go and protest at the headquarters of Irish Water at the closest date we can get,” he said.

Newport is one of just 16 towns and villages across Ireland where raw sewage discharges daily because their public sewers were not connected to treatment plants. Local businesses and residents formed the Newport Sewage Concern Group to highlight the problem and vowed to raise their campaign of protest if they see no progress.

Cllr Mulroy has previously called on Mayo County Council and the EPA to fine Uisce Éireann for polluting the bay and claimed that the local authority and the EPA are also responsible for the failure to upgrade the plant.

“Mayo County Council previously had been in control of the sewage in Newport and were certified by the EPA every year that it was being treated only to be discovered years later that treated meant being held in a holding tank and sent out to sea. That happened on Mayo County Council's watch and happened in our own environmental section.

“The idea that Mayo County Council or the EPA are not in the middle of this and the blame lies at Irish Water is not palatable anymore,” he told the meeting.

He was supported by Independent councillor John O'Malley who said that raw sewage has been going into the bay since 1965 and it cannot be allowed to continue.

“Only this weekend the Taoiseach was at the Oceans conference and they are talking about how all our oceans are polluted and the quality of water is going down and down. Can you imagine how polluted Newport Bay is and how we have gotten away with it for so many years. Irish Water are paying no heed to this at all apart from fobbing off the people of Newport and it is not right,” he said.