Kilcummin sewerage connection charges
Deputy Healy-Rae complained that Irish Water is charging households €4,000 to connect to the new sewerage scheme. He argued the public-funded scheme will not achieve its environmental aims unless residents can connect without such costs.
The Government has handed over the provision of sewerage and water services to Irish Water and the long-awaited Kilcummin sewerage scheme is now under way. It is in the Lough Leane catchment. We all welcome this. Some €9 million is to be spent.
The problem now is that Irish Water is deviating from what Kerry County Council, the local authority, always did. It is looking for €4,000 per household for connection. This was always placed at the roadside boundaries free of charge to entice people to connect.
Work has begun. The road closure is in place until the end of September. The trench is open and it is 6 m and 7 m deep in places. It makes perfect sense to leave out the connections now as the work is progressing and that is what I am asking about.
Comment on this
The purpose of the scheme is to enhance water quality, prevent pollution and prevent polluting the Deenagh River and the beautiful lakes of Killarney with algae blue. The full capacity of this scheme, which is paid for by public money, will not be realised if all the residents do not connect to the scheme. I would ask the Taoiseach to talk to Irish Water about this. There is €9 million. Surely another couple of hundred thousand euro that it is trying to get from the residents is not practical.