Fears that sewage issue may stall long-awaited opening of special school in Carrignavar

Issues with sewerage capacity in a Cork village may mean a long-promised special school, which is almost complete, will not open later this month.

The school is located in Carrignavar, where Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has initiated legal proceedings against Uisce Éireann for what it called “alleged deleterious discharges to the Cloghnagashee River” last month.

The Cloghnagashee is frequented by anglers fishing for pike, eel, and perch. It is a tributary of the Glashaboy river, which feeds the Glashoboy reservoir, servicing the entire Glanmire area.

North Cork Community Special School was one of five new special schools across Ireland that were announced in November 2024 as being planned for the 2025/26 school year. 

However, issues with wastewater treatment capacity and delays in the commencement of building works meant that the school opened last September in surplus accommodation in Gaelscoil de hÍde in Fermoy.

The school has 25 staff and caters for 36 children, aged between four and 18, with autism and mild or moderate learning difficulties.

The past decade has seen ongoing issues regarding sewerage capacity in Carrignavar, and earlier this year Cork County Council heard that its outdated treatment facility has seriously impacted the building of new homes in the village.

In 2017, the then Irish Water’s annual environmental report identified the plant as overloaded and its final effluent as non-compliant with its emission limit values.

IFI subsequently raised concerns in 2019 that the public wastewater system was organically and hydraulically overloaded.

In 2020, Irish Water received the benefit of the Probation Act following a prosecution by IFI for breaches of fisheries and water pollution legislation.

Colm Burke, Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central, noted that in April 2026, the wastewater treatment capacity register classified Carrignavar as ‘red’, meaning there was no spare capacity available.

He said that, given IFI’s current action against Uisce Éireann in Carrignavar, he had “serious concerns” there might be an objection to the new school premises causing fresh strain on the sewerage system.

He added that he was calling on Uisce Éireann to set out clearly what immediate measures were being taken at the existing plant and a definitive timeframe for delivering a long term wastewater solution for the village.

“This is an important environmental issue, but it is also holding back the sustainable development of Carrignavar,” Mr Burke said.

“A village located close to Cork city cannot adequately accommodate future housing and development without the necessary wastewater infrastructure."

Building works at the Carrignavar special school are now complete, and when The Echo visited recently, new furniture was arriving and a safety surface was being applied to the playground.

Parents of the school’s 36 pupils have been told the new premises will open on Thursday, August 27, with a two-day period set aside to allow everyone to adjust to their new surroundings.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said repurposing works were nearing completion “to facilitate occupation by North Cork Community Special School for the 2026/27 school year”.

They added: “There is good engagement ongoing with Irish Water and Cork County Council in relation to the special school and its requirements, which are quite low given the relatively small numbers of pupils and staff.”

Uisce Éireann and IFI were also asked for comment.