Investment needed in Cloughjordan Wastewater Treatment plant

THE Fianna Fáil Local Election Candidate in the Nenagh LEA, Ryan O'Meara met with the Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien last Monday in Nenagh to discuss the need for investment in wastewater treatment plants in the area.

Minister O'Brien was in Nenagh last week for the official opening of the new social housing units in Woodview Close. Ryan O'Meara and Deputy Jackie Cahill met with Minister O'Brien in Nenagh after the official opening to discuss the wastewater treatment plant in Cloughjordan, among other housing-related issues.

Ryan O'Meara said: "I was pleased to have had the opportunity to sit down face-to-face with the Minister for Housing, Darragh O'Brien last week in Nenagh to discuss local housing issues. This is the number one issue facing my generation and I welcome every opportunity I receive to raise the housing issue with senior decision makers in Government.

"I briefed the Minister on the issues affecting Cloughjordan as a result of a lack of capacity in the local sewerage system. We cannot build the houses we desperate need locally until Uisce Éireann get working and build capacity into the system.

"We desperately need both social and affordable housing in Cloughjordan to cater for local needs. I also raised the Townsfields estate, which I am very familiar with, and the need to get the remaining houses in the estate connected into the mains system.

"The Ecovillage also has upwards of 50 serviced sites that cannot be sold until capacity is provided for wastewater treatment.

"This issue is completely strangling any progress that could be made in Cloughjordan for the delivery of housing. I made this point strongly to the Minister and asked that he work with Uisce Éireann to ensure we see delivery on this issue locally.

"Deputy Cahill followed up on this meeting by sending a written brief to the Minister on the matter. Minister O'Brien committed to discussing the Cloughjordan wastewater treatment plant upgrade with senior Uisce Éireann management and said he would come back to me with an update.

"I look forward to this update and I will continue to work on this very important issue."

In June 2023, the Townsfields estate in Cloughjordan was one of only four estates nationally that was earmarked for funding under the Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme, once the local sewerage plant had the capacity to accept the remaining homes still to be connected. Some progress has been made on this legacy issue, but it cannot advance further until the local plant is provided with additional capacity.