People Before Profit Galway has critiqued the decision by Uisce Éireann to withdraw planning permission for a wastewater storage tank in the east of Galway City.
The party has also drawn attention to ‘the consistent lack of investment’ in adequate wastewater treatment in Galway, following operating profits of over €250 million in 2022.
“This decision showcases the continuous failure to address Galway’s wastewater concerns,” said Denman Rooke, candidate for People Before Profit for Galway City East.
“As our housing crisis continues with no sign of stopping, with more people homeless than ever, this withdrawal will lead to thousands of homes remaining unbuilt.
“We have seen repeated occurrences of sewage in Galway city entering the water in Claddagh, some beaches being unsuitable to swim in due to discharge, and the system has consistently been shown to struggle to meet demand.”
Rooke said that in terms of solutions, we need to rapidly step up investment in wastewater treatment in Galway city and county.
“Improving the capacity of existing wastewater treatment options and expanding new ones should be done utilising the profits from Uisce Éireann,” he said.
“They should not have been established to generate and deliver profits to shareholders, but to deliver clean and safe water for the entire population of Galway and Ireland.”
