Honestly, I cannot believe I am here in 2025 talking about this issue because 14 years ago, when I was standing for local elections, I raised this issue as one of the major issues within the Mulhuddart area. We talked on top of a hill beside Mulhuddart cemetery and that piece of land now has 800 homes on it. There are now in the region of 2,500 to 3,000 houses within the curtilage of this issue and stench coming from a pipe which comes from a pumping station in Kilbride and Hollystown in County Meath. It peaks at the area I just talked about, where there are vents that are emanating this horrendous smell. For the past 20 years, we have constantly tried to get this issue resolved between Fingal County Council that originally had its water department and which then transferred over to Uisce Éireann. In fairness to Uisce Éireann, it has come back to us on numerous occasions and told us it has put new plant machinery in, new scenting machines, cleaned out the sewage pipes and sealed the shores along the road where this problem is. However, unfortunately, it keeps coming back. I have comments here from local residents. Even today, one resident said: It has been there for years. They have built around it. It is rotten. It is like a rotten egg, a chemical smell or sulphur. They said it was cleared and flowing. It is back again. As long as I am living here, the smell has always been that way but recently it is worse. It is comment after comment and it is hard to believe when you are there and drive through that area, you have to roll the windows up in your car. It is that bad at times; it is not all of the time but it is consistent enough. The reason I am raising it tonight is because in recent weeks it has got really bad. It has been raised at Fingal County Council and with Irish Water but it does not seem to be resolved at this stage. I appeal to the Minister to maybe sit down with us and Irish Water to try to figure out a long-term plan for this. In my opinion, the long-term plan is for that pipe to be moved. As I said, we have a situation whereby Fingal County Council has built close to 1,000 houses. There are currently 800 or 900 houses there in a place called Church Fields. It is social, affordable and cost-rental housing. It is a lovely estate but we said at the time if this sewage smell was not resolved, then we will have huge problems. We were putting people literally next to it and I find that really frustrating. At this stage, I am appealing Government for the sake of the residents. There are people who have lived in that estate and those areas for 40 years and in the past 20 years, they have been constantly told this is going to be resolved and unfortunately, it has not. As I said, in recent weeks it has got really bad.
Sentiment score: -0.15
It is an interesting reply. In some ways, it probably makes sense in that the pipe is now disused and has been moved eastward. I assume it has moved eastward towards Damastown because there were recently major pipe works along that road. We are probably currently dealing with the last bits of it because if it is not being used and is empty, there maybe some residue leftover. In the next couple of months, we will continue to monitor it and I look forward to it being sealed up and concreted over. That should hopefully get rid of that problem along Church Road and finally get a resolution to this. I welcome the response. The best thing we can do now is possibly just monitor this to make sure the works Uisce Éireann says are going to be carried out will be done as quickly as possible. We may finally see the end of this problem for the residents. Being honest, it is something that has really frustrated people over the past 20-odd years. As I said, I went back and checked my files and it was 14 years ago when I first raised it. Hopefully, this is the last time I do. I appreciate the response and we will keep it under review and see how we get on.
Sentiment score: 0.13
As quickly as possible.
Sentiment score: 0.00