Irish Water’s parent company Ervia has said that it is committed to the delivery of a sewerage scheme for Gaoth Dobhair.
The commitment comes following the issuance of a damning Reasoned Opinion by the European Commission in September criticising the state over its failure to deliver the scheme.
Deputy Pearse Doherty has welcomed the announcement made following a meeting held this morning with representatives from the company.
It was confirmed at this meeting that Irish Water has now put forward its proposals for Gaoth Dobhair as part of the state’s response to the Commission, which was formally notified of the infringement earlier this year in a submission lodged with the body by the Sinn Féin TD and MEP Matt Carthy.
Speaking this afternoon, Deputy Doherty said “I requested today’s meeting with representatives from Ervia as today is the final deadline for the state to reply to the Reasoned Opinion issued by the Commission in respect of a sewerage scheme for Gaoth Dobhair – a project which the community has been waiting to see completed for well over forty years now.
“During this morning’s meeting with officials from Ervia, I was happy to have had it confirmed that, following the earlier intervention from both MEP Matt Carthy and I a number of months ago in which we wrote to the Commission to flag this violation, the company is now committed to seeing the project delivered for the region.
“I understand that the company has now put forward these proposals which will form part of the state’s response to the Commission’s Reasoned Opinion over it having failed in its duty to provide the people of Gaoth Dobhair with a dedicated waste water collection network – this is a major breakthrough.
“While the specific details of the project being considered for Gaoth Dobhair are yet to be fully disclosed, I understand that Ervia and Irish Water have moved to propose the construction of a multi-million euro scheme aimed at remedying the state’s failure to comply with present waste water legislation, namely the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
“This is a significant development in this long running saga, and I of course welcome the commitment given today by the company to progress the scheme and to resolve this infringement by the state.
“It became clear to me last year, after having first exhausted all the other various avenues by which this issue may have been resolved, that the only option which remained available in order to have the Gaoth Dobhair sewerage scheme progressed was to convince the European Commission that the state was in violation of the Directive over it having failed to deliver the project.
“I am glad that having received this submission compiled by MEP Carthy and I last year, that the Commission ultimately agreed with us and this led the Commission to issue its Reasoned Opinion a number of weeks ago in which it outlined that it believed that the state was in breach of its obligations under Community Law.
“The Commission gave the state two months to reply to these serious allegations, and the deadline for the state to give its response closed today.
“There is little doubt that these plans have been developed as a direct result of the verdict handed down by the European Commission earlier this year, following the state’s violation having been brought to its attention by MEP Matt Carthy and I in our submission to the Commission.
“Overall, today’s meeting was largely positive and, while I eagerly await to see the full details of what is being proposed, I am happy that this long awaited project is finally progressing in the right direction.”
“I will continue to monitor all develops in respect of this process and I will hold the relevant authorities to account to ensure that this scheme is delivered for the people of Gaoth Dobhair.
