Minister James Browne met a group of Fianna Fáil city and county councillors last week, where he was asked to expedite water infrastructure to encourage house building on the outskirts of Galway city.
The city’s new deputy mayor, Councillor Alan Cheevers, said he wants the Minister for Housing to prioritise a litany of water infrastructure issues set out in a detailed document drawn up by An Taisce in its submission to a planning application for an expanded water pumping station in Merlin Park.
Regardless of this submission however, Cheevers says he wants An Bord Pleanála to rule immediately on the 1 million litre storage tank at Merlin, as indecision is blocking the urgent provision of housing.
“Galway City Council can’t progress its €4.5m development of 107 affordable housing units behind the John Paul II centre, for example, because it has no certainty on water,” says Cheevers.
“We’re in the middle of a housing crisis. While I fully acknowledge that expanding the Merlin Pumping Station isn’t a complete solution to our wastewater infrastructure challenges, it’s a necessary first step,” he said. The Fianna Fáil councillor expressed frustration that a decision was not made earlier this month.
“Significant long-term investment is needed across the city’s infrastructure, but we cannot afford to wait. We need to start somewhere – and that means unlocking this housing project now.”
In its submission, An Taisce raised concerns about a lack of detailed information from Irish Water on the capacity of its proposed pumping station upgrades, and whether it will be future-proofed for the development of major housing projects earmarked for the eastside of Galway city.
