asked the Minister for Local Government when work on the Inistioge, County Kilkenny, sewerage scheme will commence.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Kilkenny Sewerage Schemes.
22.
I am not in a position to say when work might commence on this scheme, contract documents for which are under consideration in my Department.
Can the residents of the Inistioge area look forward to the possible commencement of the work in the next one or two years?
I would like to tell the Deputy yes, but it would be unfair of me to say so, because although I have been able to have the amount of money made available for sanitary services increased enormously, in my opinion it is still not enough. The priority, even for Kilkenny County Council, might not include the area which the Deputy referred to. It is No. 3 on the priority list at the moment. There are two large schemes before it, and if they were out of the way the answer, I think, would be yes. It all depends on how Kilkenny County Council fare in next year's allocation.
23.
asked the Minister for Local Government if there is any prospect of a commencement of work on the Clogh-Mooneenroe, County Kilkenny, sewerage scheme in the foreseeable future; and the reason for the delay.
Having regard to the need to conserve capital for the schemes of highest priority and the position of the scheme on the council's priority list I cannot say when work might commence.
This is No. 4 on the priority list, and the area in the previous question is No. 3. There are two large schemes before these, which I assume the Deputy would rather see completed than the smaller schemes. Some local authorities are making provision for starting small schemes on their own initiative. Therefore, I would not like to say that they would not be done in the coming year, but if they are depending entirely on State funds, I would say that Kilkenny would deal with the two larger schemes first and the two referred by the Deputy will come after that.
The Minister met a delegation from the Clogh-Mooneenroe area and is aware that this scheme has been on hands for at least two decades. I am not trying to make a political point; I am trying to get an indication for the people in the area if there is even the remotest prospect of a start being made on this scheme in, say, the next year or two.
My opinion is that it would be highly unlikely that it will be included in Kilkenny's list for next year. If we can keep to the present volume of money, it might be possible the following year. Without making a political point, as Deputy Gibbons knows, I have had a lot of pressure from Deputy Pattison, as well as Deputy Gibbons, about this and I am not unmindful of the need.