A decision was taken at a public meeting in Carna on Monday night to send a deputation to Galway County Council to discuss means of getting water from the new Regional Water Scheme to people who live along a number of side roads. The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív TD, said he would accompany this deputation.

Scéal sa Chúradh Chonnachtach (7/4/2006)

There are a number of options of getting the water along these side roads, including small group schemes which cost about 5OO per house to the residents, after grant aid, Minister Ó Cuív said. An effort could also be made to get the Govemment to provide the money to extend the present seheme along these side roads.

Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig said that he had the full support of Galway County Council in looking for this Government money.

There was some discussion as to whether the money would corne to extend the scheme directly from the Govemment and, if it did, how long it would take before the work could be done. Some people who are some distance away from the seheme have now decided it is more convenient for them to link to the main pipeline themselves without bothering with an officiai group scheme.

It is understood that leaves something above 40 houses that are not close to the main pipeline 83 out of about 800 houses that wilI get the new supply beside them.

Minister Ó Cuív said that sometimes it happened that new water schemes just went along the main road and did not go into townlands or side roads at ail. He said the situation was more clear to people if ail side roads were done or else none at ail. There did flot seem to be any clearly understandable reason why some roads were left out, Minister Ó Cuív said. However, it was best now to focus on ways of getting the waters as far as the remaining houses, the Minister said.

Minister Ó Cuív said that a great effort had been made by the local community in the Carna/Chill Chiaráin area to get this major water seheme and he said that it ensured that a high quality supply would be available, even if some group sehemes had to be developed. The basic requirements were there now he said.

Over 50 people attened the meeting, including engineering staff who work on the seheme for Galway County Council and for Ward and Burke, who are doing the main watermain over a distance of almost 40 miles. Contractors, Ward and Burke said that the main road would be repaired in a few months; either they would he doing it or Galway County Council would be doing the job. At this stage, work is well ahead of schedule on the scheme. It is the largest public water scheme ever developed west of the Comb.

Cúradh Chonnachtach 14/4/2006

---

Baile