Vol. 461 No. 8
85 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the reason for the necessity for the Office of Public Works to produce two reports on the possible effects of locating the Galway waste water treatment plant on Mutton Island. [3994/96]
86 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the special qualities that warranted the inclusion of Renmore Point, Galway, better known as the isolation hospital site, in the special protected areas status granted in November 1994, to North Inner Galway Bay. [4005/96]
87 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the differences in emphasis, concerns and reservations between the submissions of the Office of Public Works, National Parks and Wildlife Service department, of 20 August 1992, and an Office of Public Works report attached to a letter from the Department of the Environment to the European Commission dated 11 May 1995, regarding the location of the Galway waste water treatment plant. [4006/96]
88 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the accreditation of the Office of Public Works report attached to a letter from the Department of the Environment to the European Commission dated 11 May 1995; and the qualifications and positions held by the person responsible for the production of this report. [4009/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 85, 86, 87 and 88 together.
In a submission to the Department of the Environment dated 20 August 1992, the National Parks and Wildlife Service expressed concerns about the failure of an environmental impact statement, commissioned by the local authority on the proposed sewage treatment plant, to adequately address the possible impacts of the proposed development on bird roosting habitats. This was an opinion on the shortcomings of the EIS and not a statement that the impacts, if any, were likely to be significantly adverse. No other reservations about the proposed development were expressed in that submission.
89 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the doubts expressed by the EU over the submission of contradictory reports from his Department; if he is concerned that the credibility of the Department may have been undermined by his action regarding the European Commission funding for projects where there is a need for consistent dependable advice from State bodies such as the Office of Public Works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3996/96]
90 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the extent to which the European Commission disagrees with his decision to locate the Galway waste water treatment plant on Mutton Island; and his views on whether the rejection of EU funds is an unnecessary burden on national Exchequer funds. [3997/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 90 together.
My decision to advance the development of secondary waste water treatment for Galway city was taken in the knowledge of reservations expressed by the European Commission, but in the interests of avoiding further delay in the provision of this urgently needed environmental infrastructure, which is required under EU and national law. I do not accept that any contradictory reports were submitted by the Irish authorities in the course of correspondence with the Commission on this case.
Notwithstanding the differences with the Commission on this matter, I intend that Ireland will draw down its full allocation of Cohesion Fund assistance for environmental projects. The total present cost of necessary environmental projects in Ireland, actual and prospective, considerably exceeds available Cohesion Fund co-financing.
