Latest News & Announcements

Purple Flag Waterford partnering with WIT Students Union and working with local venues launched an ‘Ask For Angela’ campaign – a simple code-word campaign for people feeling unsafe while on a night out.  The campaign welcomed by local venue owners and managers as a positive step in raising the perception of safety in Waterford, will be fully in place for the busy Christmas party season.

Eric O’Brien, Chair of the Purple Flag Working Group outlined that the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign gives assurance that where required, informed assistance is available. He commended the support shown by venues who will display campaign posters encouraging those in a situation where they feel vulnerable to approach staff and ask for ‘Angela’  – this code word will alert staff that help is needed to  get out of a situation discreetly. Angela was a play on the word (guardian) Angel. The posters are up in male and female toilets, and provide reassurance there is support available if needed.” The campaign has got global attention since introduced by Hayley Child in Lincolnshire, England in 2016.

Michael Murphy, President of WIT Students Union commented that “the ‘Ask For Angela’ campaign has the potential to make Waterford a safer place by encouraging people to discreetly ask for help by going to venue staff and ‘Ask for Angela’ – a phrase aimed at alerting staff so they can help defuse a situation. It is encouraging to see so many local businesses engaging with the campaign, all with a common objective to protect people who find themselves in vulnerable or distressing situations”.

Provision of a pedestrian and cycleway between the Sports Centre and the Youghal Road in the townlands of Ringnasilloge and Borheen submission of further information.

Waterford City and County Council wish to advise that significant further information in relation to the proposed development has been furnished to An Bord Pleanála in seeking approval of An Board Pleanála under Section 177AE of the Planning and Development Act 2000-2015 as inserted by Section 57 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 for a proposed shared pedestrian and cycleway facility comprising inter alia;

Provision of a 2.5m wide pedestrian and cycleway (mainly at grade level with the exception of a raised section as described on project drawings) between the Sports Centre and the Youghal Road in the townlands of Ringnasilloge and Borheen including the provision of public lighting and appropriate fencing.

• Download full notice here.

Waterford City & County Council Chief Executive, Michael Walsh, will be the guest speaker at this year’s Waterford Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner event on Friday, 10th November at the Tower Hotel.

Mr. Walsh will be speaking on the plans for the further development of Waterford over the next few years, and will outline his vision and aspirations for Waterford.

Mayor of Waterford City and County Council, Cllr. Pat Nugent will also address the gathering.

• Date: Friday, 10th November 2017
• Time: 7.30pm
• Venue: Tower Hotel & Leisure Centre Waterford
• Tickets: €100 inc. VAT
• Contact Lynda at 051 311130 or lynda.lawton@waterfordchamber.ie.

Top performance coach Alf Dunbar held a captive audience in the Large Room in City Hall on Thursday last, as he spoke to a capacity crowd on Transforming the Customer Experience in Waterford.

In Waterford by invitation of Waterford City & County Council CE, Michael Walsh, Alf delivered his “You Are The Difference” customer service coaching program which is currently being used by a wide range of retail and business organisations around the world. With over 10 years practical retail experience and 17 years as a top performance coach he has personally coached thousands of people from a wide variety of retailing and service backgrounds helping them to achieve exceptional results.

Emphasising the importance of customer service in Waterford before the masterclass, Michael Walsh, CE of Waterford City & County Council, said: “I am humbled and heartened to see so many people here today. There are big changes afoot for Waterford and this is the time to get ready for what is to come. When you see investors like Al Hokair looking to come to Waterford, you know we have something great to offer. It is now our job to exceed their expectations and showcase Waterford as a leading destination in Ireland, where people will want to come, will want to recommend and will want to return. Customer service is key to that and with so many here today willing to put the time into improving our offering, I know that we are heading in the right direction.”

Waterford Chamber CEO, Gerald Hurley, offered an overview on a number of initiatives in planning which will focus on transforming the customer experience in Waterford, including a family passport for staff to enjoy the key attractions across the city and county for free. Another is regular free bus excursions for staff to network, while also getting out and exploring all that Waterford has to offer, while Waterford Chamber Skillnet are also looking to develop training for all businesses to avail of, from master classes, workshops, farm trips and social networking events.

“These are such exciting times for Waterford, so it’s time to put our best foot forward and step up to the role of Ambassador for this great county of ours. We have a saying in Chamber which is ‘The collective voice is stronger’. That is what today is all about, if we work together, support each other and join our efforts to promote Waterford, we are one step closer to achieving our goal.”

27/10/2017. Irish Water and Waterford City and County Council hosted a visit by local school pupils and other residents to the Dunhill Integrated Constructed Wetlands (ICW) site in Co Waterford. Pictured are pupils from Dunhill National School with Cllr Pat Nugent, Mayor of Waterford City and County Council, James O’Toole, Irish Water’s Operations Lead, Cllr Pat McCarthy and Tomas Murray, National Bio Diversity Data Centre. Picture: Patrick Browne

Irish Water and Waterford City and County Council today hosted a visit by local school pupils and other residents to the Dunhill Integrated Constructed Wetlands (ICW) site in Co Waterford.  The Wetlands protect the environment, are a sustainable wastewater treatment facility and provide an invaluable recreational and educational amenity for the local community.

Pupils from Dunhill National School were welcomed by Cllr Pat Nugent, Mayor of Waterford City and County Council, and James O’Toole, Irish Water’s Operations Lead, before being taken on a tour of the site led by Dr Tomás Murray of the National Biodiversity Data Centre.

Integrated Constructed Wetlands (ICWs) are a type of sustainable wastewater treatment system that is designed to look and function as a natural wetland. Constructed wetlands are created for the purpose of treating wastewater from rural communities like Dunhill in an environmentally-friendly way before allowing it to return to the water system safely.

Integrated constructed wetlands are carefully planned to integrate into the natural surrounding landscape; they enhance biodiversity and are built using natural materials like native plants, trees, soil, sand and stones. They protect the environment, are a sustainable and natural wastewater treatment method and provide a valuable educational and recreational resource for the communities they are based in.

Among the facilities at the Dunhill site is a River Window which was installed with the support of the local community. This offers a viewing point to observe the animals and plant life that are living in the river which drains the Dunhill-Annestown Valley Catchment area. The River Window also allows visitors to Dunhill to see how life in the river may change during different conditions and seasons.

Among the many examples of flora and fauna that can be seen at Dunhill are plants like ragged robin, flag iris, meadowtails, cattails and spreadwort which attract bees and butterflies that can help with pollination. Hawthorn, blackberry, holly and bilberry bushes are also growing on site.

There is also a wide range of wildlife living on the site, including otters, water bats, frogs and newts. The site also provides a perfect habitat for visiting and resident birds including kingfishers, herons, little egrets, cormorants, moorhens and grey wagtails.

Other features include a weather station and a number of educational features such as informational signage and a webcam.

The initial Dunhill Constructed Wetland was built in 2000 by Waterford City & County Council. An extension to the site was commissioned in 2012, increasing the number of wastewater treatment ponds to five, which gave the wetland extra capacity to treat more wastewater from a growing local population. Irish Water has been working in partnership with Waterford City & County Council at Dunhill from 2014.

Since its inception, the project has received huge support from the local community and has proved to be a popular visitor attraction. The site is also linked to the Anne Valley walking route.

Welcoming the pupils to Dunhill Integrated Constructed Wetlands Mayor Pat Nugent said: “This is a wonderful facility for the community in Dunhill. I am particularly pleased to see local pupils here learning about sustainability and biodiversity and the importance of protecting our local environment. Since the project got underway in 2002, it has received great support from the local community and I am confident that it will continue to be used by locals and visitors to the area for many years to come.”

James O’Toole, Irish Water’s Operations Lead, said the site epitomised Irish Water’s commitment to sustainability in its treatment of wastewater. “Waterford City & County Council, the Department of the Environment, Dr. Rory Harrington and the local community have to be commended in pioneering the Integrated Constructed Wetlands concept here at Dunhill. This is a fantastic recreational resource for the community to enjoy. It is a lovely setting to go for a walk or jog and is home to a variety of wildlife. The Dunhill ICW enhances biodiversity, protects the environment and is a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment in the area.  Integrated Constructed Wetlands form part of Irish Water’s sustainable model for wastewater treatment in Ireland.”

Irish Water is involved in a number of Integrated Constructed Wetland Projects around the country. Dunhill, Glaslough in Co. Monaghan and Clonaslee ICW in Co Laois, were already progressed prior to the formation of Irish Water, while a number of others are currently at design or planning stage including at Lixnaw in Kerry, Saleen in Cork, Muff in

Donegal and a further 11 sites which are undergoing feasibility assessment.

More information on Integrated Constructed Wetlands can be found on the Irish Water website.