‘That’s bats’ saycouncillors as vital water works stalled

DESPITE the fact that almost everything needed is in place to deliver a badly-needed upgraded water supply to the long-suffering village of Kildorrery, it’s unlikely to arrive until 2020! And why?

Bats.

Since January, plans have been in place to replace the existing 23-metre high water storage tower in the village and finally bring a reliable water supply. However, as county engineer Kevin Morey explained, that’s unlikely to start until 2020 due to bats, which are roosting in the old tower.

A protected species, he said they can’t be disturbed during their breeding season ... which runs from February to September.

The county councillors were not amused, with Cllr Frank O’Flynn decrying: “Am I to tell locals bats are holding up the entire development?”

Cllr Timmy Collins had a solution, however: “We should shoot the bats and get rid of them”

IT has emerged, much to the surprise of local county councillors, that nesting bats are delaying the construction of a planned new water reservoir for the village of Kildorrery.

The issue of poor water supply to local homes and businesses was first raised as far back as 2013, after it emerged that low pressure due to a combination of breaks to decades old pipes and leaks from the local reservoir meant homes and business were regularly left with just a trickle of water coming out of their taps.

Over the intervening years county councillors fought an ongoing battle with local authority officials and then Irish Water in a bid resolve the problem.

Late last year Irish Water undertook works to replace almost two kilometres of old water mains pipes from Scart Cross to Meadtown Cross and Into Kildorrery village.

In January of this year they were given the green light to demolish the existing 23-metre high water storage tower in the village and construct a new seven metre circular storage reservoir in its place.

In his report to councillors at their November northern area meeting, county engineer Kevin Morey said that while site investigations were underway, construction work on the new reservoir may not start until the spring of 2020.

Both Cllr’s Noel McCarthy (FG) and Frank O’Flynn (FF) said the delay was unacceptable and demanded to know why, given that planning had been granted, work on the reservoir could not start sooner.

In reply Mr Morey said the delay was due to an “environmental constraint”, specifically that part of the planning grant stipulated that bats roosting in the reservoir could not be disturbed during their breeding season, which runs from February to September.

He said that as the council was unable to start the work this year, it would be the final quarter of next year at the earliest before demolition works on the old tower could get underway.

“One way or another we are stuck until next September,” said Mr Morey.

While councillors accepted that the mains replacements works had considerably improved the overall water supply, they agreed the issue could not be fully addressed until the new reservoir was up and running.

Cllr O’Flynn said that never, in all his years as a public representative, had he heard of bats holding up a major capital project.

“Am I to tell locals bats are holding up the entire development? The people of Kildorrery have suffered for too long and will not be happy about having to endure even more delays,” he said.

Describing the situation as unacceptable, Cllr McCarthy urged the council and Irish Water to take another look at the plan to see if the process could be sped up in some way.

Committee chair Bernard Moynihan (FF) also expressed surprise that nesting bats could stall the project and asked if bats had been mentioned during the planning process, to which Mr Morey replied they had.

“So bats are holding up the whole scheme and take priority over people,” he said.

Cllr Timmy Collins (Ind), clearly frustrated at the turn of events, suggested an altogether more radical approach to addressing the delay.

“We should shoot the bats and get rid of them,” he said.