Vol. 505 No. 6
25 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on whether areas neglected in the past from the point of view of funding for major sewerage and water schemes should now be given the benefit of positive discrimination in the allocation of these funds in order that the infrastructure in those neglected areas can be brought up to standard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14330/99]
Between 1994 and the end of this year over £960 million will have been spent on water and sewerage services which, even allowing for adjustments for inflation, is well in excess of the £605 million envisaged in the National Development Plan 1994-99.
Notwithstanding the extent of the investment under the current national development plan, there is still a major infrastructural deficit to be made up to provide the level of services required to support economic development and protect our environment. Addressing this infrastructural deficit is a key priority for the next National Development Plan 2000-06. My Department invited all local authorities in October 1998 to prepare and submit a prioritised assessment of needs by the end of June this year for water and sewerage services capital works. The needs assessments will have a medium term horizon to the end of 2006 and a longer term horizon covering the 20 year period commencing in 1999. These assessments, together with the findings of the national water study which is currently under way, the strategic rural water plans being prepared to map out priorities for the rural water programme and strategic planning guidelines will be used to establish investment priorities at a county, regional and national level over the period of the next national development plan and beyond.
Finally, I should point out that the new rural towns and villages initiative announced in the last budget represents a special measure by the Government to remedy water and sewerage serviced deficiencies in places which were not been catered for under existing priorities. Following an initial assessment of the schemes eligible under this initiative, I secured the agreement of the Minister for Finance to increase the capital allocation for this purpose from £45 million to £80 million.
