'Horrendous' raw sewage under mourners' feet outside Portlaoise church

Raw sewage is spilling out into the carpark of the Catholic church in Portlaoise, and it is going on for years.

It is “distressing” and disrespectful to bereaved families attending funerals of their loved ones, says a Portlaoise councillor.

It is up to four years since Uisce Éireann (Irish Water) got price quotes to fix the problem with their underground sewerage system in the carpark of St Peter and Paul’s Church in Portlaoise. However they never did anything further.

Now Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald has reminded Laois County Council of the issue, and they have in turn, been given a reassurance by Uisce Éireann that it will be fixed “in the coming months”.

The busy Church grounds welcome hundreds of parishioners every day for Masses, as well as hosting large funerals, weddings and other sacraments. Hundreds more gather in the busy parish centre.

The problem manhole is located just outside the front steps of the church. Backed up sewage from the mains network is regularly bubbling up. It flows down the tarmaced slope, over a low wall and spills onto the public footpath at the local bus stop.

A church employee told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that a funeral cortege once had to walk right through the flowing raw sewage to follow their loved ones' coffin.

They said it can be “horrendous”, and overflows frequently.

“It flows up, you can see toilet paper, it flows out over the wall and onto the bus stop.

“A funeral left here, people walking behind the hearse had to walk through it. I think it’s terrible. You have the smell, it’s a health and safety issue. It’s open to the public, funerals have to walk through it. You have parishioners ringing us thinking it’s our problem. It’s not, it’s a mains problem.

“We ring the council and they get a Laois drain cleaners who come and pump it out. We wouldn’t go near it.

I thought it was out to tender. Here we are, still no further on. I’m surprised it hasn’t been acted on,” the parish staff member said.

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald raised the problem in a motion to the September meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.

She said it is a matter of “basic dignity and respect” for massgoers, in particular those at funerals.

“That this is going on for three or four years is just very regrettable. It’s completely unacceptable that families attending a funeral, already an extremely difficult and emotional time, should have to encounter sewage on the road or on the carpark.

“It’s not only an issue of public health, but an issue of basic dignity, and respect for the deceased and their families and the wider community.

“For funerals in particular it is very stressful for people to walk out to this problem outside the church.

“I know that the council have got it flushed out on numerous occasions, but you can’t be getting that done all the time. It really needs new pipes installed.

“It’s very stressful and I’m really asking for it to be treated as a matter of urgency, so that other families don’t have to go through this. It’s wrong, it shouldn’t be happening,” Cllr Fitzgerald said.

Her motion was seconded by Cllr Paddy Buggy. It asks Laois County Council to address the sewerage issues at St Peter and Paul’s Church Portlaoise.

In response, Laois County Council senior engineer Adrian Barrett had said that they had referred the matter to Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) and got a response.

“UE confirmed that quotations were obtained for the necessary works at the church circa three to four years ago but the works did not progress.

“UE have advised that they will revisit this ongoing issue at the Church and obtain up to date quotations with a view to addressing it in the coming months”.