At the Cork County Council Western Divisional meeting of Monday 17th of July, held in Clonakilty, the frustration in the chamber was palpable. Councillor Paul Hayes (Independent) first raised the matter of the Shannonvale Sewage Flood, stating that the latest response he has received from Uisce Éireann appears to have “moved the goalposts” with regard to the commencement of any work in the village. Councillor Danny Collins (Independent) followed Councillor Hayes’ comments with his own acknowledgement that the situation in Shannonvale is disgraceful, but also wished to challenge the assertion in Dáil Éireann by a “local TD” that the lack of progress on achieving funding for the works was down to a failure by Cork County Council to apply for certain grants. While Councillor Collins did not name the deputy in his comments, it is clear that he was referring to comments by Christopher O’Sullivan TD (Fianna Fáil) when he stated in a recent Minister’s Questions session in the Dáil, “I therefore cannot get my head around the fact that Cork County Council has not applied for funding to improve the wastewater treatment facilities at Shannonvale” [Read the full statement here].

Councillor Joe Carroll (Fianna Fáil) questioned how the situation had been allowed to continue for so long, stating that the impact on Shannonvale, and the wider Clonakilty area through water contamination risk is “bordering on criminal” and would not be seen in a “Third World” situation, while Councillor John O’Sullivan (Fine Gael) claimed that the necessary works at Shannonvale were part of a contract that had already been signed off on over 10 years ago, but that it had somehow not been followed through.

What is evident from today’s statements in the chamber is that a distinct lack of communication and transparency with elected officials, and the wider public, has resulted in confusion, distraction and a ridiculous situation of every organisation trying to pass the blame to another. The Council’s own staff informed members that any issues are the responsibility of Uisce Éireann and should be raised at the monthly meetings that the organisation holds with councillors, while a TD has blamed the lack of progress on his former colleagues at Cork County Council.