Donegal Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Keaveney has serious questions to answer over Moville sewerage scheme debacle - Mac Lochlainn

Published: 18 September, 2006

Sinn Féin Cllr Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has today said that Deputy Cecilia Keaveney has serious questions to answer over the Moville sewerage scheme debacle. He has also accused Deputy Keaveney of "gross hypocrisy" over her stance on the issue.


Cllr Mac Lochlainn said:


" In the year 2000, Donegal County Council undertook a public consultation process in relation to the progression of a sewerage scheme in Moville and Greencastle. This initiative was clearly intended to be a partnership arrangement with the local community aimed at undoing the damage done by the failed attempt to build a sewerage scheme in the area in the early 90s where the local community found that the council's proposals at that time contravened European environmental directives. In 2000, Deputy Keaveney was a member of Donegal County Council and indeed the locally based representative for Moville and Greencastle. She fully understood the deep mistrust in her community at the council's approach in the early 90's. Indeed her own late father Cllr Paddy Keaveney successfully proposed a motion in 1990 at Donegal County Council that a sewerage treatment plant would not be built at Carnagarve following that episode".


He continued:


" The 2000 consultation process concluded with a recommendation of several potential sites ranging in suitability from 1 to 7. The site presently proposed at Carnagarve was not one of them. Rather than making the decision to build the sewerage scheme at that time in one of the seven recommended sites that had gone out for public consultation, the council led by the local representative, Cecilia Keaveney insisted that the decision be deferred to allow for further site examination behind the scenes by the council. The council engineers when faced with obvious indecision by the elected members introduced an unprecedented 150-meter buffer zone, which in effect meant that the nearest house had to be 150 meters away from the proposed sewerage scheme. Most of the original seven sites were then ruled out".


" Following the introduction of the 150-meter buffer zone, the council then ruled out the new number one site at Glencrow because they alleged that there were houses granted planning permission within the 150 meter limit. It has since emerged that those houses had not been granted planning permission at the time that the council made this ruling. Following that decision, Donegal County Council presented three sites to the elected members to a workshop of Inishowen County Councillors. As a newly elected councillor, I accepted their strong recommendation of "site B" at Carnagarve. Had I known then all that I know now, I would have made them go back to the drawing board. This process has lost all credibility. If the intention in 2000 was that the council would regain the confidence of the community in Moville and Greencastle, then that intention has been shattered".





"The facts are that the community in Carnagarve and the surrounding town lands have been badly let down by Donegal County Council. I personally have been let down by the engineers of Donegal County Council. Most of all, we have all been let down by Deputy Keaveney. Recently, Minister Michael Martin launched the "Interdepartmental report" at the County Council offices in Lifford. When I challenged him on his Government's record in the county, on a number of occasions, he dismissively referred to "those who would block sewerage schemes". Deputy Keaveney had clearly mischievously briefed him. In doing so, Deputy Keaveney was guilty of gross hypocrisy. I am now challenging Deputy Keaveney to state whether she believes that the people of Carnagarve and the surrounding town lands have been treated fairly by both her party and Donegal County Council? And if her answer is yes, could she outline how and why she believes this? I also would ask her, does she feel that Fianna Fáil councillors including her then party group leader on Donegal County Council, Cllr Bernard McGlinchey and the present County Mayor, Cllr Enda Bonner were wrong when they blocked or opposed proposals for landfill sites at Meenaboll and Coravaddy? I believe that Moville and Greencastle need a sewerage scheme because of the pollution of the Bredagh River. So do the concerned residents of Carnagarve. All that the people of Carnagarve have asked for over the last number of months is fair play and consistency in decision-making. It is high time that Deputy Cecilia Keaveney and her party delivered it".