Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle agus leis an Aire. Táimid ag díriú isteach arís ar chúrsaí infreastruchtúir nó, níos cirte a rá, easpa infreastruchtúir i nGaillimh, sa chathair, sa chontae, An Cheathrú Rua san áireamh agus go háirithe ó thaobh cúrsaí séarachais de. Tá an easpa bhunúsach seo ag cur isteach go mór mór ar a thuilleadh forbartha agus ar chúrsaí tithíochta agus tá gá práinneach le beart stuama ó Uisce Éireann faoi stiúir agus fhís an Rialtais chun é seo a chinntiú.

Unfortunately, my question today once again focuses on the inadequate capacity in the existing wastewater collection treatment network in the Galway metropolitan area, including Merlin Park, Oranmore and Barna. An Cheathrú Rua has absolutely no wastewater treatment plant. This lack of basic infrastructure is preventing development in Galway, even though it has been chosen as one of the cities where the population will grow to 120,000. That simply cannot happen. It is empty rhetoric to talk about growing Galway and about balanced regional development, not just in the region but in the city and the county. It is utterly empty rhetoric. It cannot happen. Planning permissions are being stalled.

The wastewater treatment plant on Mutton Island was upgraded in 2014 and 2016. It has plenty of capacity. The kernel of the problem is the collection network going into it. We have a serious problem in Merlin Park. There is no storage facility in the pumping station there. There is a serious problem in Oranmore, which is connected to Merlin Park, and also a serious problem in Barna. All of this has been recognised for a very long time, going back to 2007. There are two pipes, or siphons, going under the estuary of the Corrib and bringing wastewater from the east of the city. A survey in mid-April of this year found that the larger of the two existing pipes on the estuary of the River Corrib, exactly where I live, has structural defects and is "at risk of collapse at any time". What is needed is a new 750 mm pipe. That was identified back in 2007. All the defects were identified by the city council, which did a good job. It applied for funding but did not get it because Irish Water was being set up. We have left Irish Water without vision, without resources and without any direction.

I am a proud Galwegian. I do not want to talk down my city. I want to talk it up. We have natural beauty and every possibility. We should be running with light rail to ease the transport problems. We should be acknowledging the serious defects in the wastewater treatment network that are allowing raw sewage in through the storm overflows on a regular basis. I will come back to that in my second contribution. I am asking the Minister, if he does not know the details, to acknowledge what I am saying, acknowledge the empty rhetoric and take a hands-on approach to correcting the defects.

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