asked the Minister for the Environment the upto-date position regarding the proposed Castlerea/Ballintubber/Kilmurry regional water supply scheme with the source at Longford Springs, Castlerea, and Tubbermackee, Ballintubber.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.
6.
I have granted Roscommon County Council's application for a provisional order in regard to the abstraction of water from the proposed source for this scheme and have also confirmed their compulsory purchase order in respect of lands adjacent to the source which are required to bring the scheme into effect.
When was the application received in the Minister's Department?
The contract documents for the regional water scheme were approved in May 1977, but because of objections to the council's proposals the delay occurred with regard to seeking tenders.
Does the Minister realise that this is a very important issue, that at least 700 houses are involved and that quite a number of farmers in this area are in intensive milk and there is no water available?
I realise the importance of the scheme and, as I said in my reply, I have granted the council's application for a provisional order.
When will this decision be made known?
I have also confirmed the CPO with regard to the land concerned, so I have taken the matter as far as I can at this stage.
The Minister is probably aware that there have been objections to the CPO which he has signed. I ask the Minister to request the council to expedite this case so that this scheme can go ahead.
A question, Deputy.
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Deputy has control of the council. Maybe he can use his influence.
Question No. 7, please.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
7.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the forecast by Dublin Corporation of a major water shortage in the Dublin area arising from the delays in laying pipelines from Ballymore Eustace to Dublin; and the action he is taking to deal with this problem.
8.
asked the Minister for the Environment the proposals he has to ensure an adequate water supply in the Dublin area for future years; and whether he is aware of the difficulty being experienced in recent months in the operation of the Dublin water system.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together.
The responsibility for the provision and operation of an adequate water supply system in an area is primarily a matter for the relevant local authority. I am aware that difficulties are currently being experienced in certain areas in Dublin due to low pressures arising out of the necessity to ensure as far as is practicable even distribution of the available supply.
The Dublin local authorities have undertaken several projects which when completed will result in an increase in the water supply for the area from the present 63/65 million gallons per day to well over 100 million gallons per day. Already the capacity of the treatment works at Ballymore Eustace has been increased by 20 million gallons per day. The crux is that the extra water cannot be taken to the city area until a new pipeline has been laid from there to Saggart. Approval of the purchase of the pipes for this project was given by my Department as long ago as September 1973. Unfortunately, the local authority encountered major difficulties when they sought to acquire the wayleaves for the scheme. These difficulties were only finally resolved within the past few months.
The scheme provides for the laying of over 16 miles of special 60 inch diameter pipe. In order to speed up the completion of the project the work is being divided into three contracts. Even by this approach it will be some time before a fully satisfactory quantity of water will be available in all areas in Dublin. It is, therefore, important that consumers should be aware of the need for economy in their use of water in the intervening period.
Is the Minister aware of the real seriousness of this situation? Is there no way that a compulsory purchase order can be put on a complete line of wayleaves in circumstances where people in Dublin city and indeed also in the expanding county, are often without water for long periods? Because there was resistance to wayleaves since 1973 it is outrageous that this can happen in the circumstances that I am describing.
I am calling the next question.
I understand that the Deputy is asking whether a blanket CPO could be put on several properties.
Yes, for the purpose of a wayleave for water.
As far as I am aware there must be separate CPOs for properties of different ownership. I am not aware whether or not a blanket CPO can be used.
Is there any way in which the local authorities concerned could move in and pay the arbitrator's award subsequently?
Of course I am well aware that it is possible that the local authority can move in where a CPO has been applied and can acquire the property, and the arbitration can come afterwards.
The Minister is no doubt aware that the ESB can erect poles on a person's property in a matter of days.
And talk later.
Here is something which is extremely vital to the services to the largest city in the country.
I would like to have a question. The Deputy is making a statement.
I ask the Minister if he will look into ways and means of solving an important problem like this. It does not have to take from 1973 until the present.
I assure the Deputy that I will. As far as I am aware, the local authority have the power to move in, and arbitration and compensation can be resolved later.
Is the Minister aware that the city manager and chief engineer have drawn the attention of all of us to this matter? Will the Minister give a guarantee to this House that he will commit any degree of resources, finance, personnel or otherwise, to ensure that the real danger of a water shortage this summer will be averted if any action on his part can achieve it?
I assure the Deputy that I will take any action necessary within my responsibility to ensure that it does not happen. Guarantees are a different matter.
Is the Minister aware that there is sufficient water and that it is a lack of pipes to carry the water that is in question? Is he aware that the problem, as Deputy Clinton stated, is that the tremendous difficulty of getting wayleaves has delayed this pipe being layed for an unnecessarily lengthy time? Will the Minister examine the need for some similar system for getting wayleaves such as this more quickly in the future? Will he consider bringing in legislation if necessary similar to that which applies to the ESB?
I would like to join with Deputy Briscoe in asking the Minister whether he recalls that he told the House some months ago that he was quite happy with the CPO procedure.
Deputy Browne has a final supplementary.
There are delays involved and we are examining it to see if we can improve it.
If the scheme was to start in 1973 and it is now 1978, should we take it that there will be a five-year delay before we are in a position where shortages will not arise? We are five years behind time apparently.
I would hope that we will not have any further delays.
Is delay likely?
Not in my opinion.
9.
asked the Minister for the Environment when he received the contract documents for approval from Kildare County Council for phase two of stage two of the Lower Liffey Valley sewerage scheme which is to augment the sewerage system at Kilcock; and when he will make a decision on these documents.
Contract documents for this scheme were received in my Department in October 1977. Having regard to the large programme of works in progress in County Kildare I cannot say at this stage when I will be in a position to convey a decision to the local authority on the scheme, the documents for which are under consideration in my Department.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Does the Minister realise that this is the third question on the same topic within the last week which he has answered by saying that the documents are under consideration in his Department and that he cannot say when sanction will be given? Is it not clear that there is no money in the Minister's Department and that these very essential rural sewerage schemes are being stalled in a most disgraceful way?
There was a vast increase in the amounts of money made available this year throughout the country and County Kildare did remarkably well in this regard.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Voting money is one matter but allocating it and spending it is another. This is the third scheme that has been held up, the others being in Bawnboy, County Cavan and in County Tipperary. Would the Minister not take off the brakes and release the money?
I have released the money to a far greater extent than was the case in 1977 when my predecessor was in office.
(Cavan-Monaghan): This is the test.
I have been calling Question No. 10.
Is the Minister aware that a lot of building is being held up in the area referred to because of the lack of a sewerage scheme and that, consequently, there is a loss of employment? It is very important that money for the scheme be released.
It will be released, perhaps, when the next batch of schemes is being released.
(Cavan-Monaghan): When will that be?
I have called Question No. 10.
As a member of a Government that promised to get the country moving again, has the Minister any proposal to speed up the procedure in relation to decisions on items such as this?
That is a separate question.
The procedure has been speeded up. A greater number of schemes was released this year compared with the previous year. There is more money available this year for this work.
Why, then, did the Minister answer in such a manner?
Surely the Deputy realises that not all schemes can be released at the same time.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Counties Cavan, Tipperary and Kildare are all in the same position in that schemes in each of these areas are being held up.
We must move on to the next question.
County Kildare has done remarkably well.