Lack of sewerage infrastructure hangs over Cork village like ‘Sword of Damocles’

A North Cork village could die for the lack of just €600,000 from Uisce Éireann, while another, just a few kilometres from the city, is already on its knees, due to lack of investment from the utility.

Standing orders were suspended at a recent Cork County Council meeting to discuss a critical infrastructure deficit hanging over the village of Kiskeam like the ‘Sword of Damocles.’

Meanwhile, it was stated that in Carrignavar, on the outskirts of Cork, no new homes have been built for 18 years, due to the lack of a proper sewerage treatment plant.

Fianna Fáil councillor Bernard Moynihan said the recent vibrancy of Kiskeam is being put under severe threat by Uisce Éireann’s refusal to put “small beer money” into extending its sewerage system and without this, its survival is under real threat. 

“Last week two planning applications were turned down because of this and more will happen. This is going to sterilise the village. It only needs an additional tank to be dug into the ground. This is incredibly serious issue,” 

he said.

Mr Moynihan outlined how the village had reinvented itself in recent years, now hosting an impressive remote working hub, which has made it very attractive. He said one man working there is designing a plant for Pfizer in Switzerland.

However, he said the lack of infrastructure means no new blood will be able to move in and this will impact numbers in the school and sporting clubs.

He asked senior council officials to meet with Uisce Éireann and lobby intensively for the infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil councillor Sheila O’Callaghan raised the situation in Carrignavar and saying not upgrading its sewerage system has seriously impacted housing in its village core.

She said instead of just stagnating, it has actually lost households in recent years, despite having two schools and an outdoor heated swimming pool which opens for eight weeks in the summer.

A solution proffered by county engineer Brendan Maher could be to pump sewerage from there for treatment in Whitechurch, but Ms O’Callaghan said it could take up to seven years to complete.

Uisce Éireann have Carrignavar on a list of areas nationally needing small projects. The first seven are underway but it’s 13th and the utility won’t say when it will be tackled.

“It’s a very small investment needed,” Ms O’Callaghan said.