Vol. 350 No. 1
asked the Minister for the Environment when he hopes to be in a position to confirm the water rights extraction order and compulsory purchase orders for the Gort regional water scheme; and when he hopes to be in a position to authorise Galway County Council to proceed with the next stage of planning for the scheme.
553.
asked the Minister for the Environment the present position with regard to the examination of contract documents for the Gort regional water scheme; and when he hopes to be in a position to authorise Galway County Council to proceed with the next stage of planning for the scheme.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 552 and 553 together.
As indicated in my reply to Question No. 246 on 18 January 1984, public local inquiries have been held into objections to (a) the water rights proposal, (b) the compulsory purchase order and (c) Galway County Council's proposal to construct two reservoirs as part of this scheme. The matters arising from the inquiries are of a complex nature. I am not yet in a position to give my decision on the proposals but I will do so as soon as possible.
Preliminary proposals for the water supply scheme have been approved and the local authority have been advised by my Department that it is in order to prepare contract documents for stage 1 of the scheme.
