€5.2m sewage treatment plant for Kinvara

IT has been one of the longest running sagas in South Galway but the end seems to be in sight. Every day for years now, over 60,000 gallons of raw sewage has been discharged untreated into the bay at Kinvara, one of the most picturesque seaside towns in Ireland.
During every election over the last 20 years, numerous promises were made to provide a sewage treatment plant, which would put an end to the pollution of Kinvara harbour, the focal point of a tightly knit community.
Over the summer, as tourists disembark onto the seafront, it is not uncommon to see raw sewage floating on the flat waters of the harbour, accompanied by an overpowering stench that leaves visitors perplexed and disappointed.
Last February, only days before the General Election, Fine Gael candidate, Ciarán Cannon made one more of those promises to take action to resolve the problem. He went a little further by saying that if the plant wasn’t provided, he would never run for election again.
One suspects Minister Cannon breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday when Environment Minister Phil Hogan finally sanctioned the construction of a new treatment plant and the upgrade of the collection system in the village. The scheme will cost in the region of €5.2 million and Minister Hogan is requesting Galway County Council to quickly conclude the preparation of contract documents and the tendering process, with a view to getting construction underway as quickly as possible.
“When I first ran for the council back in 2004 this was an issue that had lingered for years with no solution in sight. I had always hoped that some day I could work with my colleagues locally and nationally to bring this saga to an end and thankfully we have now arrived at that point. Within days of being appointed Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan stated that he would make the provision of water services an absolute priority for our government and he has stuck to his word,” said Deputy Cannon, who is Minister for Training and Skills.
For years, correspondence on the Kinvara plant has been exchanged between Galway County Council and the Department of the Environment (DOE). However, the announcement by Minister Hogan puts an end to that exchange and gives Galway County Council the funds and autonomy to go ahead and tender for the construction of the plant.
“There is no need for any more scrutiny by the DOE. That part of the process is now complete. I am confident that our local officials and engineers in the water services department of the council will be very proactive in getting this project underway. They have worked very hard to bring it to this point and are now in a position to prepare contract documents through to tender invitation without further recourse to the DOE.
“Anyone visiting Kinvara at night over the Christmas period will be uplifted by the beautiful sight of a boat moored in the harbour and lit with hundreds of twinkling lights. It is a fitting symbol of a community that has lived and laboured by the sea for generations. I am delighted that within a couple of years that boat will be moored in a bay which has finally been restored to its original pristine beauty,” concluded Minister Cannon.