A new treatment plant costing in the region of €5.2 million could see the end of the wanton pollution of Kinvara Bay which has over many years been subjected to the discharge of more than 60,000 gallons of raw sewage into its watery depths every day.
The pollution of the bay at Kinvara, one of the most picturesque seaside towns in Ireland and a major attraction for tourists, has attracted widespread condemnation as raw sewage has often been seen floating on the flat waters of the harbour together with an overpowering stench. This week after more than 20 years of election promises it was announced Environment Minister Phil Hogan has santioned the construction of a new sewage treatment plant and the upgrade of the collection system in the town. The scheme is expected to cost in the region of €5.2 million and Minister Hogan has requested the Galway County Council to quickly conclude the preparation of contract documents and the tendering process, with a view of getting construction under way as soon as possible.
Minister Ciáran Cannon, who during his own election campaign earlier this year gave a promise to secure such a scheme for Kinvara, welcomed Minister Hogan’s announcement which brings this long running saga to an end.
"When I first ran for the council back in 2004 this was an issue that had lingered for years with no solution in sight. I had always hoped that some day I could work with my colleagues locally and nationally to bring this saga to an end, and thankfully we have now arrived at that point. Within days of being appointed Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan stated that he would make the provision of water services an absolute priority for our Government and he has stuck to his word."
Minister Cannon concluded: "There is no need for any more scrutiny by the Department of Environment, that part of the process is now complete. I am confident that our local officials and engineers in the Water Services Department of Galway County Council will be very proactive in getting this project under way. They have worked very hard to bring it to this point, and are now in a position to prepare contract documents through to tender invitation without further recourse to the DOE. Anyone visiting Kinvara at night over the Christmas period will be uplifted by the beautiful sight of a boat moored in the harbour and lit with hundreds of twinkling lights. It is a fitting symbol of a community that has lived and laboured by the sea for generations. I am delighted that within a couple of years that boat will be moored in a bay which has finally been restored to its original pristine beauty.”
