If you have a minute see below the most recent correspondence we have sent to the Minister for the Environment today in advance of the Govt decision on Irish Water and Water Charges on Wednesday next. We have again invited the Minister to attend our public meeting next thurs. Please come if you can and if we can put enough pressure on both the Government and Irish Water we may well realistically get somewhere on moving forward with a treatment plant for the town and in the meantime challenging these proposed Water Charges. Thank you for your support and please attend next Thursday in the arklow bay at 7.30pm if you can. Together we could make a difference. ref: REP1188/AK/14 Dear Minister Kelly, We refer to our correspondence to you of the 13th and 21st ult. and of the 10th Inst. and also to representations made on our behalf by Stephen Donnelly TD, to which regrettably we have not yet received a reply of substance. Before a final decision is made on Irish Water, and more importantly Water Charges themselves, I would ask you to give serious consideration to Arklow, and a small number of other towns, as an exceptional case. Arklow has no sewage treatment or wastewater plant and raw sewage is pumped directly into the Avoca river from the entire public sewer system serving over 10,000 people. (See first photo attached of one such outlet pipe of which there are over 15 more.) This issue is now attracting national attention and people cannot believe that in 2014, such a system of wastewater management exists and they are both appalled and outraged that this practice continues today. Our river and sea is being destroyed( see second photo attached ) and with it our economy, our dignity and our community. Various groups have petitioned successive governments to have a wastewater facility built here, but as yet to no avail. This is now the perfect opportunity to reignite the case for the plant to be built without further delay and as a matter of local and national importance. In the meantime, while this process takes place, Arklow should have a derogation or allowance in relation to the water charge in full or at the very least in relation to the wastewater charge element of the proposed Water Charge, because in simple terms, no such service is being provided to the people of Arklow. ( see third photo attached) There is growing support for this cause and various local groups are coming together on this matter. Our Facebook page alone has over 1700 friends and we have arranged, in conjunction with independent TD Stephen Donnelly, a public meeting to take place on Thursday the 20th November in the Arklow Bay Hotel. We expect a very large turn out and hope that the town will unite on this subject. We extend our invitation to you once again to attend our meeting, to listen to the people and to make the right decision in this case. Arklow has been overlooked on so many occasions with regard to employment, infrastructure and social amenities but it is a proud town with proud decent people and the town is coming together on this issue. Please give it the attention it deserves. Thank you for taking the time to read this mail and I hope that you take these matters into consideration in arriving at the Governments final decision on the proposed Water Charges. Best regards Pauric Hyland Arklow Wastewater Action Group Sent from my iPhone
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 18:15:01 +0000
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