Vol. 480 No. 6
324 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when the Carrowmore to Bangor, County Mayo, water scheme, which was grant-aided in 1996 with £ 2 million, will be extended from Carrowmore to Glenamoy; whether there is an application for this extension before the Government; and if so, the stage this application has reached. [14272/97]
332 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reason the £ 1.2 million necessary for a water supply scheme (details supplied) has not been approved by him in view of the situation of the families in County Mayo with no running water; and if he will give a firm commitment to these families as to when the money will be forthcoming. [14282/97]
333 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the action, if any, he intends to take in view of the situation of the people of north Mayo in the Lurgacloy and Barnagh area, who have no running water; and if so, when he intends to take such action. [14283/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 324, 332 and 333 together.
The Erris regional water supply scheme extension to Bangor Erris, costing an estimated £ 2.5 million, is under construction at present. Planning has been completed for an extension of the trunk main to serve the Glenamoy area and preliminary planning has been carried out for a further extension of the scheme to serve the Mullet Peninsula and provide a water supply for proposed group schemes in the Barna and Lurgacloy areas. However, having regard to the existing high level of commitments under the water and sewerage investment programme I cannot say when it may be possible to provide for the construction of these.
325 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when a group water scheme (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid the grant sanctioned by his Department. [14274/97]
Group water scheme grants of £ 138,148 have been paid in respect of the upgrading works carried out by the group to improve the distribution system and to facilitate its integration with the public regional water supply scheme. The final cost of the completed works is being assessed by my Department and any outstanding grants which may be due to the group will be paid without delay.
326 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the current position in relation to Mayo County Council's plans for the Cong sewerage treatment plant, County Mayo. [14275/97]
A preliminary report for the upgrading of the Cong sewerage scheme is with my Department but having regard to the existing high level of commitments under the water and sewerage investment programme, I cannot say when it may be possible to approve it.
327 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when the people of the Cross, Claremorris area of County Mayo will be connected to the regional water supply in view of the situation of persons (details supplied) in County Mayo. [14276/97]
There is no proposal with my Department for an extension of the public regional water supply scheme to serve this location.
328 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will immediately sanction the funding and contract documents for the extension of the Lough Mask scheme from Ballinrobe to Kilmaine and Shrule in County Mayo as submitted to his Department over ten years ago. [14277/97]
The Lough Mask regional water supply scheme, extension to Claremorris, costing an estimated £ 15 million, is nearing completion at present. An extension of the scheme to serve Knock and Ballyhaunis is included in the 1997 water and sewerage programme as a scheme to be advanced through the plenary stages. Having regard to the existing level of commitments under the programme, I am not in a position to say when further stages of the Lough Mask scheme, including the extension to Kilmaine and Shrule, may be approved.
329 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the compensation, if any, for flood damage paid by his Department to people anywhere in Ireland for each of the years from 1995 to 1997; and if he will categorise the amounts, if any, by county. [14278/97]
330 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government whether he will sanction emergency funding to people affected by the flash flooding in north Mayo to help rebuild road structures, bridges and so on. [14280/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 329 and 330 together.
No compensatory payments were made to people by my Department in respect of flood damage in the period 1995 and 1997 and there are no funds available to me for such purposes. Local authorities are responsible for the maintenance and improvement of non-national roads and bridges in their area, the costs of which are financed from their own resources supplemented by State grants. In the normal course, the cost of remedial works arising as a result of flooding and storm damage must be met from these combined resources and local authorities are aware that they should set aside a contingency sum to finance any restoration works which may be necessitated by severe weather conditions. In relation to north Mayo, the county council sought special grant assistance of £ 294,930 for repair works. The bulk of this sum, £ 213,000 related to Glencullin bridge. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I approved an initial grant allocation of £ 50,000 under the EU co-financed scheme on 5 August 1997 towards the cost of emergency works and replacement of Glencullin bridge. I understand that the council intends to submit an application under the EU scheme for funding the balance of the work in 1998.
The provision of funding for national roads is a matter for the National Roads Authority which has statutory responsibility for the management of the national road network, including the allocation of grants.
In relation to housing, householders would normally be expected to have buildings and contents insured against losses of this nature and there are no funds available to me to assist householders in respect of any damage caused to houses by flooding. Local authorities may help through the provision of temporary accommodation, as was provided during the flash flooding in Mayo, and in necessitous cases, it is open to the health board to provide assistance to householders under the task force on special housing aid for the elderly to remedy damage to the householders' living conditions. A health board may also assist a person, under the supplementary welfare allowances scheme, where an urgent need arises.
331 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when an application for a sewerage scheme in County Mayo will be approved by his Department in view of the fact that it was submitted several years ago. [14281/97]
A preliminary report for the proposed sewerage scheme in Laherdane is with my Department but having regard to the existing high level of commitments under the water and sewerage investment programme, I cannot say when it may be possible to approve it.
