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Tag Archives: Irish Water

Establishing Irish Water was a mistake, claims former Mayor

A former first citizen has criticised the government decision to establish Uisce Éireann due to the lack of information for householders in two neighbouring communities in South-East Clare who are subject to a boil notice. Almost 1,000 consumers in O’Brien’s Bridge and Bridgetown are affected by a boil notice, which was issued on August 25. Last Friday, almost 1,800 residents in Killaloe, which is in the same parish as O’Brien’s Bridge for GAA purposes, were hit by a similar notice. Councillor Tony O’Brien (FF) has claimed public representatives and consumers received a better service when Clare County Council was managing the public water supply, before this function was taken over by Irish Water, now Uisce Éireann. In an email to Uisce Éireann on Tuesday, Councillor O’Brien stated he was inundated with queries regarding the boil notices issued to consumers in the O’Brien’s Bridge and Killaloe public water supply. “In the case of the O Brien’s Bridge supply the boil notice …

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Irish Water would win Olympic gold for working in slow motion, says McMahon

IF there was an Olympics for operating in slow motion Irish Water would win the gold medal every time, Councillor Pat McMahon told Tuesday’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District Councillors. The veteran Fianna Fáil man sought an update on the planned upgrade to the waste water treatment plant in Newmarket, which he said is vital to the delivery of housing in the area. A written response from the Council’s Senior Executive Engineer stated that there has been little progress for months. “The planning application for the Newmarket on Fergus waste water treatment plant upgrade project was submitted to Clare County Council by Uisce Éireann in February 2023. The response to a further information request is to be submitted to Clare County Council by Uisce Éireann in mid July 2023. Subject to a grant of planning permission and the completion of a tender and contract award process, it is anticipated that construction will commence in 2024 for completion in 2026.” The …

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Water shortages in North Clare

THE fine weather has taken its toll on the water supply in North Clare with residents in Ennistymon, Lahinch, Fanore, Kilfenora and Ballyvaughan asked to conserve water in the days ahead. According to Uisce Éireann, some water supply schemes across the north of the county are currently experiencing water shortages and reduced pressure due to low reservoir levels brought about by the high demand for water and the ongoing low rainfall levels. “We are appealing to customers to conserve water to give the reservoirs time to replenish. We have had a very dry period and with the warmer weather currently being experienced and more forecast, supplies will come under further pressure,” said Duane O’Brien, regionals lead for Uisce Éireann. “Any reduction that customers can make in their usage can collectively result in significant supply improvements for all customers. I would ask that everyone in these areas, and in Clare in general, play their part to help conserve water this summer. …

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Stark warning on challenges for retail businesses in Ennis

RETAILERS in Ennis have weathered “the perfect storm” in recent years and are now facing “retail Darwinism – survival of the fittest”, believes Ennis Chamber’s CEO Margaret O’Brien. The county capital has seen some retail outlets shut their doors for good, and there are fears that more closures are yet to come. However Ms O’Brien insists Ennis is “in strong position to attract new outlets”, adding that support is needed from the local authority and landlords to realise the town’s full potential. Meanwhile, Gwen Culligan, one of the county’s best known retailers, believes the coterie of agile, independent retailers in Ennis have given the town a strong backbone. “We can’t hold back change, but we can do our best to work with it, in order to survive and thrive,” she says. Ms O’Brien toldThe Clare Champion, “Recent years must have felt like a running battlefield for retailers. The Covid pandemic wreaked havoc for two years, then came the war in …

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Clare councillors back proposed ban on cyanide use for mining

A PROPOSED ban of using cyanide in future Clare mining operations that are located near groundwater has been backed by local councillors. This has been welcomed by Futureproof Clare who claimed the new Government policy on mineral exploration and mining has been devised solely to facilitate the large scale extraction of minerals. Councillor Johnny Flynn asked Clare County Council at a recent meeting to amend the wording of the new Draft County Development Plan to ensure there are proper environmental safeguards concerning the impact of any existing and proposed extractive industries. Chief executive, Pat Dowling pledged to request senior planning officials to look at strengthening these safeguards in the final wording of the new County Development Plan before it comes back before members. At the request of environmental campaigning group Futureproof Clare, Councillor Johnny Flynn brought the fact the county is not protected to the attention of the council. Councillor Flynn said the Draft Regional Water Resources Plan for the …

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Irish Water lambasted over handling of Gort water issues

RESIDENTS of Gort are being “driven crazy” by problems with the town’s water supply and Irish Water has been strongly criticised for its handling of the situation. People in the town were left without water through some of last week’s extreme cold weather, while the town has a boil notice in place just days before Christmas. Local county councillor Gerry Finnerty said the problems have been going on for a long time, and Irish Water can’t blame it on the frosty weather seen last week. “The first call I’d have got was in November that there was an outage and that was long before there was any frost, and it’s ongoing since then. “The outages are unannounced, nobody knows anything, you just turn on the tap and find you don’t have water and it’s just driving people crazy.” Local TD Ciaran Cannon was also very angry when he spoke to the Clare Champion this week. “We had a very significant …

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Irish Water would be left ‘over a barrel of sewage’ by site sale

A PLANNED sale by Shannon Airport Group of a 4.9 acre site at the Quin Road Business Park, which includes a pumping station serving housing estates in Ennis, would leave Irish Water “over a barrel of sewage flowing backwards into estates”, Independent TD Michael McNamara has told the Dáil. Deputy McNamara has voiced concerns that private ownership of the infrastructure could negatively effect the provision of a public service to a number of large housing estates in Ennis. This week he asked the government to bring together the relevant bodies involved in a bid to ensure the pumping station, described as a vital piece of public infrastructure, is protected. Speaking in the Dáil this week the Clare TD raised his concerns about the sale to Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath. He outlined, “Shannon Commercial Enterprises, the successor of Shannon Development is selling five acres of land on the Quin Road in Ennis. “In one corner of that …

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Pupils leaf class behind to plant trees with Irish Water

MANY hands make light work was the theme of the day as fourth class students from Ennis National School gave Irish Water a dig out with planting native trees at Drumcliffe Water Treatment Plant. Members of Irish Water’s South West Region Biodiversity Forum, staff from Green Belt Forestry, EPS, and Clare County Council, greeted the students on a bright and breezy morning at the treatment plant last week to plant 50 trees in time for Christmas.  The pupils arrived on site ready to learn more about how the River Fergus provides Ennis town with all of its drinking water, and about the Alder, Oak, Birch and Hazel trees that would soon be thriving in the area.  The Drumcliffe Water Treatment Plant is soon to have some 5,520 trees planted over the coming weeks where it will eventually become a wild and wonderful habitat for Jay Birds and Red Squirrels.    Speaking at the event, Chair of Irish Water’s South West Region …

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