Potential for a serious accident at a Donegal treatment plant

A treatment plant in Quigley's Point is the potential site of a serious accident, a local councillor has claimed.

Speaking at the February Inishowen Municipal District meeting, Cllr Terry Crossan said the treatment plant belonged to the Foyleview Point housing development and was in a “very serious state of repair”.

“I have highlighted this before,” Cllr Crossan said. “The treatment plant is below the road, near the river estuary. It is not working and is in a very serious state of repair. The fencing around it has been removed and the manhole covers have been removed.”

Cllr Crossan said many children play in the immediate area. He said he did not know who was “shirking their responsibility” in relation to the treatment plant, which had now been passed to Irish Water. Nobody seems to want to take responsibility for the treatment plant,” said Cllr Crossan, “and it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

“Especially now, coming back into the springtime when children are going to be more active, out and about, I would like to get someone to take a look and find out who is responsible.

“My information is the developer is no longer on the scene. Are we just going to leave it until a child actually falls into the manhole? If that happens, it's too late.”

Responding to Cllr Crossan, Cillian Smith of Donegal County Council's Planning Section, agreed the issue was “serious”.

Mr Smith said he would report the issue to a number of people, including the Council's Water Services.

“Hopefully, there is some way it can be addressed as soon as possible,” he added.