LACK of finance is likely to delay work on the upgrade of the local wastewater/sewerage treatment plant.
At this week’s meeting of Shannon area councillors, Councillor Gerry Flynn put forward a motion asking that the “Water Section of Clare County Council provide a report in relation to the wastewater/treatment plant upgrade and provide information concerning tenders and start dates for various parts of the project”.
In a written reply to the meeting, senior executive engineer Eugene O’Shea stated, “As previously advised tenders were invited some time ago for the Advance Works Contract that includes upgrades to pumping stations 2, 4A, 5A and 12. These tenders have been received and are currently being assessed. Due to financial difficulties it is not possible at this stage to provide details on a start date for this project.”
Councillor Flynn asked where the financial difficulties were, and Mr O’Shea said they lay with the council. “The financial difficulties are with the council initially,” he claimed.
He said the council don’t have the funding to go ahead even though it would be reimbursed by the department at a later stage.
Independent Councillor Patricia McCarthy said she was “disappointed but not surprised” as the council had been forced to dip into its own resources more and more.
She said matters would be helped if the monies raised by the household charge were kept by the council, along with existing funding levels, but that this is not what’s planned.
Councillor PJ Ryan felt progress does need to be made. “The plant is antiquated and one of these days we will have health problems if it’s not addressed.”
Summing up Councillor Flynn said the “need is getting greater and the infrastructure is breaking away.” He also said that summer time is approaching and that the problem is more acute at that time of year.