The refusal of planning permission for developments in Athenry due to the inadequacy of the town’s sewerage system had to ring alarm bells for all concerned with the provision or retention of jobs and economic activity in the area.

This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin when she said that the Athenry sewerage problem was just one indication of how inadequate investment in water and sewerage systems continued to damage the economic prospects of many parts of Co. Galway.  It also exposed the blatant hypocrisy involved in the planning and associated regulations of the Department of the Environment, she said.

 Marian Harkin continued:- “Despite  the unprecedented funds available in the past ten years, towns like Athenry have been deprived of a reasonable opportunity to develop while the current situation in relation to the proposed Carraroe sewerage plant reveals a worrying deficiency in the approach of Galway County Council.

“The fundamental policy of the Department of the Environment is to push people to live in towns like Athenry and consequently making it increasingly difficult to obtain planning permission for a one-off house in the rural areas.  However the same Department of the Environment is either through deliberate action or ineptitude, failing to fund or approve vitally necessary sewerage and water treatment plants to cater for expanded population.

“Further problems for those wishing to live in the countryside are posed by the upcoming River Basin programmes under the EU Water Framework Directive which will further constrain the building of one-off houses.  In this regard the public will be consulted on the draft River Basin programmes while the Regional Planning Guidelines should also provide an opportunity to combat attempts to further restrict the building of one-off houses in the rural areas.

“Where are people to live in the future if the towns’ sewerage water systems are not capable of handling existing challenge and Fisheries Board’s continued to object to planning permissions?  How can our rivers be protected when deficient treatment plants including those operated by Councils are not being upgraded or replaced due to bad planning, inadequate funding and prevarication by Government Departments?

“It is time that the blame game is sorted out into who is responsible for the inadequacies affecting Athenry or Carraroe and what steps must be taken to ensure that development can continue throughout Co. Galway and that people can in future have confidence in drinking water and choice of where they wish to live in future in either urban or rural settings.