Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Locals have been raising with me concerns about pollution in the River Sullane downstream from the town of Macroom. There are two particular issues of concern to locals, namely the pollution itself and what appears to be the authorities’ lack of interest in pursuing the polluter. For some time, locals have been raising concerns with different authorities about foul discharges into the Sullane, smells, visible pollution, things floating in the water, cloudy water and so on. This does not just happen when there is flooding; it happens at various times. Fishers have told me that they have experienced these issues over a number of years as well. It is likely that this situation is what contributed to Uisce Éireann’s decision to build a new plant. Thankfully, that construction is under way. It will take much of two years to build but is well under way at this stage and could eventually deal with the pollution. In the meantime, though, the pollution appears to be continuing.

Concerns were raised with Uisce Éireann in April, May and June, but there were no responses until today just before the matter was to be raised on the floor of the Dáil. That response blamed recent flooding events without ever acknowledging the issues that had been repeatedly raised by many people. Locals are asking questions but feel like they are being fobbed off, not being recognised and not being taken seriously on this issue.

There are concerns about the authorities’ lack of interest. The EPA appears to be tolerating the apparent situation at Uisce Éireann and not pursuing a prosecution of the latter. Locals are asking reasonable questions about how this is possible. They look over the road to Ballingeary where no prosecution seems to have been taken against Uisce Éireann over sewage discharges. They look up the road to Freemount where there was a recent fish kill. Surely the polluter will be pursued there. People are left wondering why this soft-touch approach is being taken. If a farmer or business were polluting, that person or business would undoubtedly be pursued through the courts and convicted, but there seems to be a more comfortable relationship with Uisce Éireann when it is the polluter. How can this be explained to farmers, who feel that the full rigours of the law will be applied to them if they pollute but see pollution being tolerated elsewhere? It should not be tolerated. Every polluter should be treated the same.

There clearly is pollution and there has been for some time. It needs to be dealt with. The polluter needs to feel the full rigours of the various authorities to ensure that it deals with this pollution and does not allow it to happen in other areas.

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