Vol. 467 No. 7
138 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for the Environment whether he will provide funds in the short-term to Clare County Council to improve water and sewerage schemes at Ballyvaughan, County Clare for the summer of 1996. [14517/96]
139 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has to advance the Burren/North Clare sanitary services cohesion fund application during Ireland's Presidency of the EU. [14518/96]
176 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for the Environment whether he will make State funding available to Clare County Council to improve in the short-term water and sewage schemes in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare. [14463/96]
177 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for the Environment the current position regarding sanitary services schemes forwarded by Clare County Council to his Department and subsequently submitted to the EU for cohesion funding. [14464/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 138, 139, 176 and 177 together.
Applications have been submitted to the European Commission for Cohesion Fund assistance for the planning and construction of a number of major water and sewerage schemes in County Clare, including the Lisdoonvarna and Ballyvaughan schemes. My Department is in touch with the Commission on an ongoing basis and will continue to press for the early approval of these and other applications but, to date, none of the Clare projects has been approved. Notwithstanding this, two high priority projects, the Sixmilebridge sewerage scheme and the Killaloe sewerage scheme have been approved to commence construction in 1996.
Pending the Commission's decision, and having regard to the existing high level of commitments under the water and sewerage schemes programme, I cannot say when it may be possible to approve the other schemes concerned.
