A temporary ban on new housing developments in Tramore was called for yesterday after raw sewage was discharged on the beach over the weekend. Public representatives say they called for such a ban four years ago, but up to 400 houses continue to be built in the town each year despite the lack of infrastructure.
Work on a new sewerage system is not due to begin until September and until it is complete no new houses should be built in the town, they say.
Under normal circumstances treated sewage is pumped into the bay, but on Monday raw sewage was being discharged on to the beach. Ms Betty Twomey, an independent county councillor and secretary of the Tramore tidy towns committee, said she was unable to get in touch with county council officials after she was alerted to the problem at 11.30 a.m.
"It was just unbelievable. It was flowing on to the beach on the Tramore side of the beach-guards' hut and I couldn't get through to anybody to get something done. There should be an emergency procedure in place for something like this."
In a statement yesterday, the council's sanitary services unit said a section of the sewer entering the promenade sewer system "blocked up" on Monday morning, causing an overflow on to the beach. Attempts to obtain a contractor to clear the blockage had been unsuccessful on Monday.
"Arrangements have been made to remedy the situation and we expect the sewer system to be back in order by this afternoon (Tuesday)," it said.
Ms Twomey criticised the fact that no apology had been offered and nothing had been done to alert people to the problem. "There were children playing there and I asked them to come out of the water and told their parents about it. You could actually see the sewage in the water."
The sewage had been discharged, she said, via a system designed as an overflow. "But that was put in place decades ago and was designed for a small village, not for the amount of houses and apartments we have in Tramore today."
Ms Maureen O'Carroll, the chairwoman of the tidy towns group and a member of Tramore town commissioners, said she was fearful of what might happen in July or August "when we have 20,000 to 30,000 people in the town". The problem which occurred at the weekend had happened several times previously.
Her call for development to be suspended was agreed by the town commissioners in September 1997, but there had been no response from the council. "We're building between 300 and 400 houses a year in Tramore and there's no town planning involved; they're just putting them up willy-nilly."
Ms Twomey said she would write to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Dempsey, urging him to stop local authorities permitting developments in the absence of supporting infrastructure.
Tourism interests in the town were already suffering as a result of the foot-and-mouth problem and some people would be critical of her for raising the issue and giving the town bad publicity. "I couldn't stand by while small children put their hands into that water and filled their buckets with it. I think health has to be the priority."
