MARA licence granted for west Mayo wastewater surveys

Aontú TD Paul Lawless has welcomed the granting of a Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) licence to Uisce Éireann to conduct environmental surveys in Clew Bay, a key step in progressing the long-delayed Newport Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The Maritime Usage Licence (MUL) will allow Uisce Éireann to study ocean currents in the bay and build a hydrological model to inform the design of the treatment plant.

Deputy Lawless said the delay in issuing the licence had brought the entire project to a standstill. "No survey, no design.

No design, no planning application," he said, adding that the project had been "sitting on the shelf for decades."

He said this week's development put the scheme "firmly back on the agenda" and confirmed he had written to Uisce Éireann requesting a meeting to discuss the proposed timeframe for works.

Lawless said he had held multiple meetings with both MARA and Uisce Éireann to advance the project and pledged to "fight tooth and nail" to ensure surveying in Clew Bay proceeds without further delay.