S.F. Senator calls for progress on Castlefin sewerage scheme
Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty has called on the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, TD, to take immediate action on the problems with the Castlefin sewerage scheme that he said the community has endured for many years.
"What is needed here on the government's part is a bit of imagination to move this project along," Senator Doherty said during a debate in the Seanad.
The senator said the problem dated back many years. The interdepartmental group in Donegal that the government established had listed the scheme as one to be progressed. It was to be advanced alongside sewerage schemes for Gaoth Dobhair, Dungloe, Glenties, Ballybofey and Lifford.
"Half a decade on and none of these programmes have been delivered," Sen. Doherty said: "The interdepartmental committee's report, like so many others, is just gathering dust."
He said that not only must the people of Castlefin deal with foul smells that are particularly strong in the summer, but local people have been denied planning permission for houses because of problems with the scheme.
The senator said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed the scheme in its Urban Waste Water Discharges Report last year, calling it inadequate and a danger to the local environment.
"The community of Castlefinn deserve better," Sen. Doherty said. "They deserve in the 21st century a system that will dispose of raw sewage in a manner that will not pollute our rivers or leave a foul smell in the town, but they are being denied this."
He said: "We have seen no lack of imagination from government when it comes to Rody Molloy's redundancy package, or high-paid civil servants escaping pay cuts.
"The banks have been bailed out. Now it's time to bail out the ordinary people of Castlefinn who have to endure this unacceptable situation, day in or day out," Sen. Doherty said.
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Monday 21 May 2012
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