A discussion on the delay to build six homes in Ardattin got heated at the Tullow municipal district meeting last evening.
The project was mooted about four years ago and everything appeared to be on track with the land and planning permission in place as well as initial approval from Irish Water.
However it’s claimed things have since stalled, despite a “robust” meeting just weeks ago between the utility company representatives and council officials.
Cllr John Pender raised the issue, saying it looked like it would be at least five years before the project got started.
And MD Chairperson Charlie Murphy said it was something that needed a push, and later told KCLR News; “Irish Water are again dragging their heels, I don’t know where this one is going to go, it’s been going on a long time now, I suppose the only thing is as public representatives all we can do is keep pushing it but I think with the housing crisis, I think it’s getting to the stage just build the houses and I don’t like to say this but worry about the rest of it afterwards”.
Cllr Murphy hit out too at the council’s housing department saying that nobody wanted to touch it, with just a few pushing it; “Michael has his job to do, the same as everybody else, I just feel there was a lot of foot-dragging on this one, I know there was foot-dragging on this one, like as I said it’s going on too long, yeah I am frustrated about it but again as I said as public representatives all we can do is keep pushing from our point of view”.
That’s something the Director of Services Michael Brennan wasn’t happy with, telling KCLR News; “Yeah, I would refute what the Cathaoirleach said, the housing department have been very proactive in relation to this project, unfortunately there is capacity constraints down there and that’s the issue so as I said at the meeting we had a very good meeting on the 23rd of November and I would hope for correspondence to come from Irish Water in the very near future that’ll clarify on how we can proceed”.
He concluded by noting “It’s not for the lack of effort on behalf of myself and my team in housing, it has been very much a live issue so I would completely disagree with the Cathaoirleach”.
