The Government’s ‘pie in the sky’ polluter pays policy is road blocking vital water and sewerage schemes being delivered to County Mayo, according to Fine Gael councillor Michelle Mulherin.
“All work set to commence for the five schemes pursuant to the Council’s Water Services Investment Programme for 2011 and 2012 and other schemes required in plans for the future will grind to a halt unless the Department of Environment and Local Government effect a radical change to their water pricing policy and tackle the bureaucracy within the Department and associated with the granting of foreshore licences for schemes,” Cllr Mulherin said this week.
“This will see people in Foxford, Killala, Charlestown, and Belmullet, who should expect their schemes to commence, continue to be left without proper sewage and waste water treatment facilities,” the Ballina based councillor and Fine Gael general election candidate added. “It is totally unacceptable that in modern Ireland, in the 21st century, that raw sewage untreated should be pouring into special areas of conservation like the Moy, Killala Bay, and Broadhaven Bay.”
Cllr Mulherin said that plans by the council to redress this situation for these towns and so may other towns and villages in the county with basic vital infrastructure are being paralysed by a Government and a Minister that doesn’t want to know or take any responsibility.
“On top of this the council is facing both an environmental and financial nightmare with the prospect of it being prosecuted and heftily fined pursuant to the rafts of environmental protection legislation which are coming on stream for any diminution of water quality owing to the council's inability to provide treatment facilities in the first place.”
The polluter pays policy is a major stumbling block, according to Mulherin. “Under Government policy the council is expected to trump up a lump sum contribution of an average 30 per cent of the cost of each scheme,” she explained. “This would require approximately €10 million in the next two years alone from the council. Up until last year the council funded its share from development contributions it levied on people through planning permissions. This money is now completely spent and, with very little development now taking place in the county, the council is now being forced to take out loans and pass on the costs to businesses, farmers, schools, and other non-domestic users through water and sewage charges.”
Last year the council had taken out a loan of €6.2m for the existing schemes, and it is now looking to increase water charges for non-domestic customers by 10 per cent at Monday’s budget meeting to cover its costs for these schemes.
“The situation is unsustainable and the council cannot afford to take out another loan of €10 million to fund the 2011 and 2014 schemes,” said Cllr Mulherin. She also hit out at the fact that Mayo County Council is currently owed €9 million by central Government for work that has already been completed by the council, and called on the Minister for Environment and Local Government to meet a delegation from Mayo County Council immediately to put in place a viable strategy for the delivery of the vital capital projects in the county.
