Uisce Éireann criticised as major plans for Bay Estate revealed

Dundalk councillors have expressed frustration with Uisce Éireann due to its plans to install a rising mains through the Bay Estate in the town.

The wastewater pipe which connects to the main treatment plant was due to go under the Coes Road and as a result repair works to the road were put on hold. 

However, the local authority told councillors at the April meeting of the Dundalk Municipal District that Uisce Éireann are now looking at the Bay Estate. 

A spokesperson for Louth County Council said a meeting is due to be held with the national water utility to confirm their selection. 

Fine Gael councillor and Cathaoirleach of the Dundalk Municipal District said the news "put me off my train of thought". 

"They do realise there is a school there. I know the Coes Road and Bay Estate are the lesser of two evils but we really need to think about that," he said. 

Green Party councillor Marianne Butler said Uisce Éireann needs to address flooding issues in the estate if its to be the preferred route for the new mains. 

"If we’re sitting down with Uisce Éireann and that is their preferred route, which I really hope it isn’t. We come up with a win for Bay Estate in terms of the flooding issues, and that gets addressed as part of any works in that estate, and there’s proper drainage and proper systems to deal with the flooding that’s been happening there. 

There has to be a benefit and a win for that area and that is the benefit and win that they need," she said.   

Read Next: Funding for Louth Fire and Rescue will 'deliver real and lasting benefits'

A spokesperson for Louth County Council said: "I believe they’re potentially looking at going Bay Estate towards their main treatment plant as opposed to the Coes Road as originally planned. Hence why we had laid off the resurfacing.

If that is confirmed we were obviously looking at patchwork but we will be looking at funding to get that fully resurfaced because it is in poor condition."

Elsewhere, councillors also expressed their displeasure with Uisce Éireann due to the duration of repair works across the town. 

Sinn Féin councillor Antóin Watters said Uisce Éireann are getting "too much leeway" and said it needs to "pull up its socks". 

"There was repair works done in January in St Nicholas Avenue and Maxwell Row. Myself and Cllr [Seán] Kelly have been chasing for works to be done and it was only finished months after works began."

"I have been speaking to council engineers and they are chasing them up but it’s taking too long. There’s another example on the Castletown Road and it’s not repaired. Irish Water need to pull up their socks," he said.

Cllr Watters also said councillors had lost their direct line of communication with the national water utility.

Independent councillor Maeve Yore was also critical of Uisce Éireann and said "if they give me another case number, I'm going to go off my trolley".

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.