REPORTS that residents wanting to link up with a long-promised new sewerage scheme in Kilcummin will be asked to pay a substantial connection fee have led to an angry backlash from one Kerry TD.
Deputy Danny Healy-Rae said he was “absolutely devastated” with revelations from Irish Water that residents will be asked for between €3,000 and €3,500 for a connection and he said he will be immediately raising the matter with the Minister for the Environment as this is a new direction in policy.
Irish Water and Kerry County Council are progressing plans for the €9 million scheme which will provide a new sewer collection system for village to ensure wastewater is treated appropriately.
Once operational, the new scheme will connect into the sewer network in Killarney town where it will be collected and transferred to Killarney wastewater treatment plant.
The scheme will ensure compliance with wastewater discharge regulations and it will also improve water quality in the River Deenagh and Lough Leane.
It will protect recreational waters for swimming, fishing, boating and sightseeing as well as safeguarding the integrity of the local environment.
The infrastructure to be constructed will include a sewer network for Kilcummin village, a pumping station, and approximately six kilometers of sewers and it will reduce reliance on septic tanks and package treatment plants.
Over the coming months, Irish Water will progress land acquisition and procurement for the scheme and works on the project are expected to commence late in 2022.
Irish Water’s earlier decision to exclude three key areas of Kilcummin – Knockataggle, Rathanane and the Sportsfield Road –.came under heavy fire from local councillors but Irish Water said at the time that it didn’t receive a sufficient number of applications from residents to enable those areas to be included.
