Beleaguered water treatment plant gets green light after seven year delay
Uisce Éireann confirmed that planning approval for the Greater Dublin Drainage (GDD) Project in Clonshaugh had been granted by An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Its CEO, Niall Gleeson, previously estimated that due to a seven year delay in the project due to judicial reviews to the planning application, the cost had ballooned from €600m to €1.2bn.
Uisce Éireann's Infrastructure Delivery Director Maria O'Dwyer described the Greater Dublin Drainage project as a 'key part of Uisce Éireann's investment in new wastewater infrastructure in Greater Dublin' that 'will facilitate housing and growth, protect public health into the future'.
She said: 'The Greater Dublin Drainage Project was first submitted for planning in 2018 and since that time, population and economic growth means the volume of wastewater we are producing has continued to grow, so the delivery of this critical infrastructure project is more important than ever.
'Current projections are that the amount of wastewater generated in the Greater Dublin Area including parts of Wicklow, Kildare and Meath will increase by over 50% in the period to 2050.
'The delivery of this essential project on the northside of Dublin in addition to the upgrade to the Ringsend Treatment Plant on the southside of the City (to be complete by the end of this year) will provide the capacity and resilience to support economic and social development for many years to come'.
Mr Gleeson criticised the delay of this project during the official opening of the Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant in May.
He stated: 'I would say that if you took it, the taxpayer and the State, it is probably in the billions [that is being lost]. Private entities are losing a fortune through this kind of stuff as well.
'I know there's a lot of work being done on the planning process and, actually, a lot of the planning process works pretty well with the local authorities and An Bórd Pleanála,
'But it's the ones that are tricky to get through, the larger projects, that I think we need extra support. But that cost is real.'
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