Vol. 407 No. 1
250 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make a statement on the method of sewage disposal in Cork city; whether it complies with the present regulations and procedures outlined by the EC; and if not, if he will outline his proposals to rectify the situation.
Sewage from Cork City is currently discharged, without treatment, to the River Lee at Penrose Quay and Kennedy Quay. I asked Cork Corporation in 1990 to develop proposals for sewage treatment facilities for the city. Consultants are to be appointed to investigate the various options for secondary treatment, to examine the need for tertiary treatment and to determine the best means of treating and disposing of sewage sludge.
I regard planning and design of the necessary works as a priority under the Environment Action Programme, and I expect that they will be provided well within the timescale allowed under the EC municipal waste water directive. This new directive will come into force from 30 June 1993 and will require secondary treatment, as a minimum, in Cork city by 31 December 2000.
