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No cash for Inishowen
water
26.04.10
by Caoimhinn Barr, Inishowen Independent
MUFF councillor Mickey Doherty has blasted a
decision by Minister for the Environment, John
Gormley, to allocate no money for Inishowen water
and sewerage schemes.
The Minister announced a €100 million investment
package for Donegal water projects last week but not
a single cent has been earmarked for Inishowen.
Councillor Doherty said it was a ‘total disgrace’
that Inishowen had been abandoned yet again.
“I am outraged and I will not sit back and take this
decision. I was promised that the East Inishowen
water system would be prioritised. I tabled a motion
at Council and was given assurances on this issue,”
he said. |
“I don’t like the way
that Donegal County Council are casually accepting
this move. We need to sit down with planners,
management and staff in the water section to come up
with proposals to upgrade this scheme immediately.”
Councillor Doherty said that as recently as the
Easter weekend many homes in the Muff area |
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were left without water
for up to three days.
“The system is a disgrace, we don’t have the
capacity to cope anymore. Water staff are working
long hours but the system is not working. There has
been a problem with water in East Inishowen for
years and years, in fact it is worse now than ever,”
he said.
“Some residents are tortured by the lack of water
every few months and they have been condemned to
further years of misery but I will not sit back and
let that happen. I’m making this issue my number one
priority and I expect to hear something back from
Donegal County Council before the next electoral
area meeting in May.
“I represent people from Greencastle to Moville and
Muff, who are adversely affected by this, and I will
not let them down. The council have installed a new
water monitoring system at Quigley’s Point but we
need common sense not monitoring systems!” Cllr.
Doherty added.
Doherty said that a group water scheme on the Ture
Road had still not been taken over by the Council
despite being in operation for 20 years while raw
sewerage was continuing to be pumped straight into
the Foyle at Moville pier.
Letterkenny will benefit most from Minister
Gormley’s €100 million package, with €25m going to a
wastewater treatment plant in the town. €16.5m has
been allocated to the Killybegs Sewerage Scheme
while Gweedore will scoop €8.5m. |
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