Sanitary Services in Kilkenny, as bad as Health Service Disaster? -O'Brien
Issued : Wednesday 4 April, 2007
Labour Party Election Candidate Cllr. Michael O'Brien stated that Kilkenny people should brace themselves for a sanitary services disaster as bad as anything we have already experienced in the health services.
Councillor O'Brien said that last year he himself publicly called for 'an immediate deputation directly to the Minister for the Environment to resolve matters in relation to the long time span that sewerage and water schemes in Kilkenny take to receive approval/funding from his Department'. Mr. O'Brien told his County Council colleagues last week that they are 'living in 'alike in wonderland' if they failed to recognize the development crisis that is quickly emerging.
He said that despite the considerable increase in building activity in recent years the Department and the Government failed to respond to the corresponding sanitary infrastructural needs to underpin such increased economic activity. Ireland has the most centralized local government system in Europe within which it is literally impossible to have a pot-hole filled without prior approval from Government.
Speaking at last week's meeting of Kilkenny County Council Cllr. O'Brien said, "The Government has consistently robbed the construction industry and hard-pressed homebuyers by way of VAT, PAYE, Capital Gains Tax, Stamp Duty etc, and squandered the loot".
"I hate to use the word, but in my opinion Kilkenny County Council now has a serious water and sewerage services crisis - so serious - that direct and urgent intervention is now required from central Government".
He went on to say that according to the latest Report setting out a 'Programme for the provision of Water & Wastewater for Kilkenny City & County', it is estimated that it will take between 2 and 4 years for the first of a number of urgent water/wastewater schemes to be commissioned in county Kilkenny. From this information, and notwithstanding the on-going environmental demands of future and current planning applications, he stated that the word 'crisis' may not be out of place.
The Report revealed that approximately 4800 homes throughout county Kilkenny are awaiting the provision of public water or sewerage services. These homes are currently either built and cannot be occupied as a condition of planning, being constructed, or at commencement stage. Meanwhile, the planning authority is processing more that 2,000 fresh applications for residential schemes and one-off houses per year.
Cllr 
