Danny Healy-Rae demands action on Killarney sewage spill
Danny Healy-Rae raised urgent concerns about water and wastewater treatment in Killarney, focusing on two treatment plants at the top of Ahido that are overflowing into the lakes. He urged the Minister and the Taoiseach to intervene and criticised Irish Water for not taking responsibility while calling the situation an environmental emergency.
Immediate problem
Danny Healy-Rae said two treatment plants at the top of Ahido are "completely out of gate" and spilling over. He said last year during flood and storm the overflow ran down the road and finished up in the lakes of Killarney, creating an environmental hazard for the town and surrounding estates.
Responsibility and funding
He reported that Irish Water has taken over duties but would not work with Kerry County Council on the necessary works. The department has made 998,000 euros available to Kerry County Council, residents have collected up to 74,000 euros, and there remains an approximate shortfall of 400,000 euros to complete the works.
Calls for intervention
He demanded the Minister and the Taoiseach get involved to ensure the issue is resolved, that Irish Water be deployed, and that Kerry County Council environmental and engineering teams work together to deliver the required upgrades. He framed the problem as an emergency that must be addressed promptly.
Broader context and consequences
He warned that many towns and villages lack adequate water and wastewater treatment capacity, with some settlements having no treatment plants at all. He emphasised the impact on Killarney's tourism, saying the town cannot reasonably host a tourist season while the sewage problems persist.
Political tone and urgency
Throughout the speech he expressed impatience over delays, noting residents have waited up to seven years for a resolution and pressing for immediate action to protect the environment and local livelihoods.
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Thank you very much. I'm glad to get the opportunity here, Minister, to talk about water and indeed treatment plants, water treatment plants and sewerage treatment plants. I've only two and a half minutes, but first of all, I have to say to many of our towns and villages don't have adequate water and don't have adequate capacity in their treatment plants. Indeed, we have many villages and settlements that don't have any treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants. But I want to focus my attention tonight on two states on the top of Ahido, where the fall is down into the lakes of Killarney. I have raised this numerous times before, including with the Taoiseach on my topical question, and it is going on still, and the matter is not resolved. There's two treatment plants there, and they're completely out of gate. They're spilling over, and last year, this time last year, during the flood and the storm, it flowed down the road, and where did it finish up? We all know where it had to finish up because, as I said, the fall is into the lakes of Killarney. That's where it eventually finished up. And there's a problem there, you see, because Irish Water now have taken these duties over, and the money was allocated 998,000 euros to Kerry County Council. They couldn't get Irish Water to work with them, to do the necessary work. No, they can't go at it at all because they don't have responsibility for it. And I'm asking you now, and the Taoiseach, to get involved in this to ensure the people here have waited up to seven years for this, and it is an environmental hazard, and it is not fair in the town of Killarney to allow this, and not fair in these estates. And I'm asking both Irish Water and Kerry County Council, their environmental section, and the old engineers that were involved in the water services and the sewerage services, to work together to resolve this. There's 998,000 euros made available by the department, and the residents themselves have up to 74,000 collected. There's about a shotfall of 400,000, but it will have to be got now, Minister, wherever it will be got. And Irish Water will have to be deployed. This is an emergency. Can we honor a tourist season again in Killarney, where tourism is the prime income for many people. Look, I've been raised several times before, I'm asking you now here, and I'm getting very impatient about it, and MDP. Indeed, you know, Minister, to deliver the message that this has to be sorted out. Thank you, Deputy Healy Ray and now.
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