Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 10 Jun 1993

Vol. 432 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Williamstown (Galway) Sewerage Scheme.

Mr. Connaughton

Thank you, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to raise this important matter and the Minister for being present. I want to put on record the absolute frustration and anger of the people of Williamstown at the delay in getting the sewerage scheme started. They have been campaigning for almost ten years. Over 70 families must contend with a bad domestic sewerage scheme, widespread pollution and nauseating smells. There are definite health hazards in the village. Furthermore, because of the lack of a proper sewage treatment scheme, fewer houses have been built in the village than would normally be expected.

Galway County Council, the Western Health Board and the Department of the Environment acknowledge the necessity to get a proper treatment plant installed. All the necessary lands have been acquired by the county council and the present design plan now encompasses two areas originally omitted which ensures a better outfall point. Deputations over the years met a host of Ministers for the Environment. A very definite commitment was given on a few occasions. However, when all seemed in order a red herring was introduced to the proceedings. It was alleged that the scheme which was provisionally costed at around £300,000 in 1986 was now more expensive than originally envisaged and because of the new budget costings of £900,000 the Department was caught unawares. I have no doubt the Department of the Environment officials never believed that in 1992-93 figures a sewerage scheme of the size required by Williamstown could be installed for a sum in the region of £300,000. I fully endorse the approach taken by Galway County Council. The additional extensions and the outfall facility mentioned above, when taken with a rise in general prices since 1986, would push the cost up to around £900,000.

Is the Minister satisfied with the budget cost of the project as presented by Galway County Council? I believe everything is in order on that score. The people of Williamstown are in a militant mood. They want to see the commencement of their sewerage scheme in 1993, they have waited long enough and have seen other areas leap frog over them. The people in this village have shown commendable civic spirit over the past few years and a community spirit second to none has developed. However, there is only so much a small village can do. When Williamstown gets the sewerage scheme it so richly deserves, it will respond by kick-starting many worthwhile projects that will maintain existing jobs and may well create some badly needed jobs for people in that area.

On behalf of this united village I am asking the Minister to identify and ear-mark the necessary funding to allow the work to commence. Williamstown, without a sewerage scheme, carries a deadly handicap; Williamstown with a new sewage treatment plant will prosper and grow. I thank the Minister for his attention and I look forward to a favourable reply.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. M. Smith)

I thank Deputy Paul Connaughton for giving me the opportunity to address the House on the issue of the funding of the proposed sewerage scheme for Williamstown.

Since 1989 over £15 million has been allocated to Galway County Council for major water and sewerage schemes. So far this year alone, the allocation for the county has been £5.56 million the highest ever for the county, and a substantial increase on 1992. This year's allocation includes significant funding for major sewerage schemes at Tuam and Oran-more in County Galway.

In the case of Williamstown, a preliminary report for a sewerage scheme to serve around 50 houses was approved in March 1987. The estimated cost of the scheme at that time was £331,000. Galway County Council gave an updated cost estimate of £592,000 in April 1992. Contract documents for the scheme were submitted to the Department of the Environment in September 1992. It is clear from the contract documents submitted that the county council has expanded the scope of the scheme to serve around an additional 15 premises and that the route of the outfall sewer has been amended and extended. These additions and amendments, which were not approved by the Department of the Environment, have had the effect of increasing the cost to the region of £1 million, a threefold increase on the approved estimate at contract document stage.

Cost increases of this magnitude clearly have implications for the overall funding programme of schemes generally and militate against any scope which might be available to approve new schemes. The contract documents and the cost increases and amendments are currently under examination. Given the circumstances, the Deputy will appreciate that the matter must be throughly investigated and examined before a decision can be reached.

I am aware of problems being encountered locally by the absence of a sewerage scheme and of pressure for the scheme. However, the scale of investment implications for schemes throughout the country has been increasing steadily over the past few years. In this context, it has not been possible so far to afford this scheme priority within the national sanitary services programme or to give any specific commitment of funding.

I note Deputy Connaughton's concerns. I have had representations too, not only from the local group but from Deputy Michael Kitt and from the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Noel Treacy, on the matter raised here this evening and on previous occasions but having regard to the overall demand on the water and sanitary services programme, I cannot say when it will be possible to approve the scheme.

I was one of those Ministers who met the group concerned and I indicated that if the cost were of the order as outlined to me I would do my best to make provision for the scheme. Subsequently when checked, I found it would cost treble what was indicated. I should mention to this House that there is an ever increasing demand for resources for the provision of water and sewerage schemes that sometimes this work has a very low profile on the overall political agenda. However, because it is such a basic service we will make available any resource possible, whether private or public, including EC funds, to remedy problems in Williamstown and in many other parts of the country. This will be done not only for developmental reasons but for environmental considerations — to prevent pollution of inland rivers, coastal water and so on. This is an area to which I am giving exceptional priority and I hope to be able to return to the question of funding as soon as possible.

Mr. Connaughton

Those concerned will be very disappointed with that reply.

The Dáil adjourned at 5.25 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 15 June 1993.