Future viability of sewerage schemes queried
The viability of planned sewerage schemes for the villages of Glenfarne and Rossinver has been called into question by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government making the prospect of progressing such schemes, all the more unlikely.
The viability of planned sewerage schemes for the villages of Glenfarne and Rossinver has been called into question by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government making the prospect of progressing such schemes, all the more unlikely.
The news, which came to light following a query by Cllr Sean McDermott at the April Council meeting, sparked an angry response from the Glenfarne based councillor who said it was unfair that there was no public scheme available in either location.
However the Director of Service, Infrastructure, John McGuinness, said that both villages were included in Bundle 2 of the Leitrim Town and Village Sewerage Scheme which had “been suspended due to the current national financial position”.
Bundle 2 covers the provision of schemes or upgrades in Manorhamilton and Mohill as well as the creation of schemes in villages such as Glenfarne and Rossinver.
“In any event the affordability of schemes in both Glenfarne and Rossinver has already been questioned by the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government and, if and when funding becomes available in the future, this will be a significant factor in determining whether the proposal progresses,” he noted.
Cllr McDermott said he was not happy with the response to his query and observed that the prospect of ever getting a public sewerage scheme in these villages “now appears very bleak”.
“It’s not even a priority,” he said. “I don’t think there are any other villages a sewerage scheme so it seems incredible that the provision of a scheme for these villages is now being questioned.
Mr McGuinness said that the loss of CLAR funding to make such schemes viable had left the Council with no real funding opportunities for this work.
He pointed out that there were other existing schemes serving the bigger towns in the county such as Mohill and Manorhamilton which need upgrades but these plans had also been shelved.
“There is simply no money available,” he admitted.
With new septic tank legislation coming into force Cllr McDermott said that it was vital that public sewerage schemes should be completed for the county’s towns and villages.
He argued that this left people facing a situation where they would have to pay a septic tank charge and for a possible upgrade when there were already plans to put their village on a sewerage scheme.
“These schemes should not be abandoned, they should be prioritised,” he insisted.
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Weather for Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South
