A CROWD of over 200 residents gathered at Murray’s Pub in Lusk last Tuesday night (May 30) to hear the latest news from a local action group tasked with leading the opposition to a major sewage plant proposed for their area.
Last month, the Greater Dublin Drainage Scheme announced three shortlisted sites for the construction the controversial sewage plant – two in Lusk and one in Clonshaugh. The announcement has angered both communities.
Damian O’Toole, who chaired the meeting on behalf of Lusk Waste Watch, encouraged locals to make their views known to Fingal County Council by attending the planned open days at its headquarters in Swords.
Mr O’Toole told the packed meeting that Fingal County Council needs to look at
“realistic
? alternatives.
“The idea of building a massive plant out here and constructing a pipeline of over 40 kilometres to feed it makes no sense,
? he said.
“It’s a waste of money that the country cannot afford and cannot justify.
?
Lusk Waste Watch continues to vehemently oppose the plans and argues that a more sensible alternative would be to have a number of smaller, local, facilities.
Brian Arnold, a member of the Lusk Waste Watch committee, summed up the mood of the meeting when he declared that the people of Lusk
“have had enough
?.
“This plant isn’t even intended to serve our area,
? he said.
“It’s for sewage from outside north Fingal. We will do whatever we must to keep this horror from the Lusk area.
?
Public representatives who attended and addressed the meeting included Senator Darragh O’Brien (FF), Cllr Ken Farrell (Lab), Cllr Ciaran Byrne (Lab), Cllr David O’Connor (Ind) and Balbriggan Town Councillor Terry Kelleher. Cllr Tom O’Leary (FG) attended on behalf of Minister for Health James Reilly.