Vol. 490 No. 7
193 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will list the towns and villages in the catchment area of the great western lakes, the Corrib, Mask, Carra and Conn, which have only primary or secondary treatment plants for sewage; the plans, if any, he has to provide tertiary treatment plants for these towns and villages as required by EU Directive 91/271; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11148/98]
The planning of waste water facilities for local areas is the responsibility of the relevant local authorities, having regard, inter alia, to the provisions of the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 (Urban Waste Water Treatment) Regulations, 1994, which give effect to Council Directive 91/271/EEC. A list of the towns and villages referred to in the question and their treatment facilities is not available in my Department. However, information on the present level of treatment of discharges from agglomerations with population equivalents greater than or equal to 2,000 is contained in Appendix A of the report of the Environmental Protection Agency on urban waste water discharges in Ireland for the years 1994 and 1995.
The regulations do not require the provision of more stringent treatment than secondary treatment except in the case of towns in excess of 10,000 population equivalent within the catchment of water bodies identified as sensitive under the terms of the directive. The lakes referred to have not been so identified. It is, however, my Department's policy to approve funding for higher standards of treatment where local circumstances may so require. In this context phosphorous reduction facilities are being provided in the Claremorris sewerage scheme which will drain into Lough Mask. Mayo County Council's proposals to proceed to have work commenced in this scheme, which has an estimated total cost of £5.8 million, were recently approved.
194 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has given approval to proposals by Clare County Council to proceed with the design and preparation of contract documents for the provision of a sewerage scheme at Quilty, County Clare. [11250/98]
Contract documents for a proposed sewerage scheme in Quilty were submitted to my Department in the mid 1970s. However, the scheme was not advanced as the limited resources available had to be allocated to higher priority schemes. In view of the lapsed time since the proposals were first submitted, my Department wrote to Clare County Council on the 31 March 1998 suggesting that the proposals may now be out of date and that it would be a matter for the council to reactivate them. Revised proposals for the scheme have recently been received in my Department and are under technical examination. Given the existing levels of commitments under the water and sewerage services investment programme, I cannot say when it may be possible to approve the proposal.
195 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when final resolution of pension and ancillary entitlements will be achieved in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [11251/98]
An application from County Kildare VEC for sanction to the grant of added years to the person concerned is being examined by my Department. I expect that this examination will be completed shortly.
