asked the Minister for Local Government when sanction will be given by his Department for the carrying out of an extended water supply scheme at Drumshanbo, County Leitrim.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.
56.
I am not yet in a position to sanction this scheme, the contract documents for which are under consideration in my Department.
57.
asked the Minister for Local Government the present position regarding the Emlagh group water supply scheme, Cleggan, Connemara, County Galway.
The group were requested, in July last, to forward a statement signed by all persons owning water rights from the proposed source—Courhour Lake—confirming that they would have no objection to the abstraction of water from the lake. This statement has not, as yet, been received in my Department.
Further progress is not possible, however, until the permission of the people holding water rights has been obtained.
58.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he has received any proposals from Roscommon County Council for the development of a water scheme at Longford Springs and the Mullaghadooey Hill area, Castlerea, County Roscommon; and when he will give a decision on the proposals.
Revised preliminary proposals recently received from Roscommon County Council for this scheme are under examination in my Department. A decision on these will be conveyed to the local authority in due course.
59.
asked the Minister for Local Government when he will be in a position to approve the contract documents submitted to him by Roscommon County Council for the implementation of the South Roscommon regional water supply scheme.
I cannot yet say when I will be in a position to give my decision with regard to these documents which are under consideration in my Department.
60.
asked the Minister for Local Government when he proposes to approve the contract documents for the Errill sewerage scheme, County Laois which were submitted to his Department on 1st August, 1974.
61.
andMr. Lalor asked the Minister for Local Government the number of proposals for sewerage schemes at present in his Department which were sent for approval by Laois County Council.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 61 together.
There are proposals in respect of two such schemes before my Department at present, one of which is the Errill sewerage scheme. I am not yet in a position to sanction these schemes, the contract documents for which are under consideration.
Did the Minister say there are only two proposals, in other words, that there is only one scheme other than the Errill one?
The schemes concerned are the Portlaoise and Errill ones.
The Errill scheme has been with the Department since August, 1974 and the Portlaoise one for almost as long. Therefore, is it not possible for the Minister to give a clearer indication as to when sanction might be given?
No. The Errill scheme was submitted first in June, 1969 but it was only in May, 1973 that Laois County Council informed the Department that tests carried out to determine the subsoil conditions indicated that the treatment proposed was not satisfactory. In June, 1973 the council were requested to submit an estimate for an extended aerated method of treatment. A revised proposal was submitted but the unit cost would be £920 per house. We are attempting to find a more satisfactory way of dealing with those two matters. I should be glad to be able to say that the matter could be dealt with but as of now it does not appear that the proposals are entirely satisfactory. Perhaps if the Deputy puts down another question in about a month's time I shall have more information for him.
I can see the difficulty in connection with the Errill scheme but it has been dragging on for too long. Surely, though, the same situation does not apply to the Portlaoise scheme?
The situation is not the same but the estimated cost of the Portlaoise scheme is about £250,000. In view of the size of the scheme and of what is proposed it is not considered as being an entirely satisfactory one and that is why it is being given so much consideration. That is why I suggest that the Deputy ask about the matter again in about a month's time when more consideration will have been given to the matter.
The Minister will appreciate that Portlaoise is a county town and I wonder whether he is aware of there being a big hold up in the development of the town because of the delay in relation to this scheme? Does the Minister hope to have sanction within a month?
I hope to have a decision within a month.
Will it be sanctiond then?
If I knew that I could give the Deputy the information now.
Is the money available?
It is always available.
62.
asked the Minister for Local Government whether he has considered the representations made to him by a deputation from Clough-Mooneenroe, County Kilkenny on 26th February 1975 for the provision of a sewerage scheme in that area; and, if so, the result.
While I have given due consideration to the representations to which the Deputy refers, I am not in a position as yet to give my decision on the scheme.
As a deputation in this regard were received by the Minister on 26th February last and they having been promised that urgent and immediate action would be taken, surely it is time that a decision were given or is the question, as Deputy Haughey suggested, one of money?
No. What I said to the deputation was that the scheme was a long and straggling one which included a village and a number of country areas, that it covers a much bigger area than that of any other sewerage scheme proposal before the Department. I suggested that the whole scheme would not be considered as a high priority one either from the Kilkenny or from the national point of view. I suggested that there is another way of dealing with the village end of it where houses have been built already and where other houses could be built. I had expected somebody to come back to me with another proposal but this has not happened. I am disposed favourably towards helping in regard to the upper end, that is where the village is and where more houses are to be built but I do not see any immediate chance of sanctioning a straggling scheme of more than two miles. Also, there is an argument regarding the question of a river being affected by any such scheme. If the county council came back to me with another proposal, I should be glad to deal with the portion of the scheme indicated but not with it in entirety.
Will the Minister not sanction the proposal put forward by the deputation?
No, and they were made aware of that at the time of their meeting with me.
Therefore, the Minister is awaiting another proposal from the county council?
Yes.
63.
asked the Minister for Local Government when the report on the sewerage scheme for Kilteely, County Limerick, which was sent to his Department by Limerick County Council for sanction in April 1974, will be approved.
I hope to be in a position shortly to convey my decision on the preliminary report submitted for this scheme following receipt of a reply from the county council to queries raised by my Department on the report.
64.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will sanction the preliminary report of Limerick County Council concerning the provision of a sewerage scheme for Kilmeedy which was sent to his Department in October, 1974.
Kilmeedy is a village of 45 houses with a population of about 100 people. The preliminary report in question proposes a sewerage scheme costing £50,000. Many of the houses already have septic tanks. While sewage disposal arrangements in the village do need improvement, the cost per house of the proposed scheme is very high. The views of the county council are being invited and I will be prepared to consider the matter further in the light of their reply.