27th January 2015
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
An emergency motion calling on Irish Water to proceed with the main
drainage in Bandon was passed by Cork County Council this week.
The motion was introduced by Bandon based Sinn Féin Cllr Rachel
McCarthy following news last week,following a cost benefit
analysis,that Irish Water were not going to implement the main
drainage scheme as envisaged and wanted it to be redesigned.The scheme
has been plagued with delays and councillors have been calling for it
to be completed over many years.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr McCarthy said;”This scheme was a vital
piece of infrastructure which was promised to Bandon to cater for the
existing need and to accommodate future development in the town.Since
Irish Water now own the water/sewage infrastructure of the country
they have decided to renege on the project due to cost.This is not
good enough for the people of Bandon who have suffered with a
dilapidated road network which can not be remedied until the main
drainage is complete.”
She added; “This could have implications far wider reaching than
Bandon as the refusal of Irish Water to honor capital projects which
were given the green light by councils could see this scenario
repeated throughout the country.The government have created a much
hated quango which they now hide behind when it comes to situations
like this.I am calling on the Minister to intervene on behalf of the
community in Bandon both business and residential to instruct Irish
Water to proceed with the scheme as designed and committed to before
it was formed.This is the least they deserve.”
