Cork TDs clash in row over opening of special school

Two Government TDs have clashed after the Department of Education had to install a purpose-built wastewater treatment system so that a Co Cork special school could open next week.

The North Cork Community Special School is due to open in Carrignavar next Thursday, but a key planning condition stated it could not be connected to the public sewerage system without Uisce Éireann’s agreement.

Carrignavar’s sewage treatment plant was last week deemed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be “biologically and hydraulically overloaded”, and the EPA confirmed it has an open compliance investigation into Uisce Éireann’s management of wastewater there.

Separately, Inland Fisheries Ireland this month instigated legal proceedings against the water utility.

These related to what Inland Fisheries Ireland called “alleged deleterious discharges to the Cloghnagashee River” at the end of July.

It is understood that Uisce Éireann has not approved the special school’s connection to the Carrignavar system. Last week the Department of Education declined three times to confirm that the school would open on time.

The school caters for 36 children, aged between four and 18, all of whom have autism and mild or moderate learning difficulties, and it has 25 staff.

Prudent approach

On Wednesday, the department announced that the school will open next Thursday, August 27, saying that it had taken “the prudent approach of installing a local wastewater management system on the school site”.

A spokesperson added: “No wastewater will be discharged into the townland’s wastewater system until full agreement has been reached with Uisce Éireann”.

Welcoming the confirmation that the school will open on time, Pádraig O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, criticised representatives who had cast doubt on the school’s opening.

“It is disappointing that some continued to suggest the school would not open, despite receiving assurances to the contrary,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“Politics should be about solving problems and supporting families, not generating clicks, shares, or unnecessary anxiety.”

Overloaded sewerage system

Over recent weeks, local Fine Gael TD Colm Burke had repeatedly cautioned that the overloaded sewerage system might mean that the school would not open.

Mr Burke said that it was “disappointing” that it had taken the department four months to give him written confirmation that appropriate action would be taken to deal with the challenges faced by the school.

“The concerns raised with the department were genuine, and they were raised by parents and teachers who were concerned [about] those challenges.

"I think it is only by our highlighting those issues that the department has now taken the action needed,” Mr Burke said.

“I was concerned that the school would open and a connection made to the main sewerage system and it would end up in court proceedings.”