Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2001

Vol. 529 No. 1

Written Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Pádraic McCormack

Question:

770 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the position regarding the provision of sewerage schemes for Leenane, Kilkerrin, Tully and Clonbur villages in Connemara, County Galway; if he has approved the contract documents for those schemes; and when they are likely to start. [1005/01]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

Leenane and Kilkerrin sewerage schemes were approved for funding under the rural towns and villages initiative in 1999. The updated preliminary reports for both schemes were approved last November and the submission of contract documents by Galway County Council is now awaited.

Tully sewerage scheme is included in my Department's water services investment programme, 2000-02, as a scheme to start construction in 2001. The preliminary report for this scheme is currently under consideration in my Department and a decision will be made on it as soon as possible.

A revised preliminary report for the Clonbur sewerage scheme was received in November 1999 but has not been approved. This scheme was included in a list of sewerage schemes for the period 2007-18 submitted by Galway County Council in response to my Department's request to local authorities to undertake fresh assessments of the needs for capital works in their areas and to prioritise their proposals on the basis of the assessments. The priority lists were taken into account in the framing of the water services investment programme, 2000-02, announced last July. Given the priority rating afforded to this scheme by the council, the level of competing demands and the funding available, it was not possible to include it in the programme at that time. However, I understand that Galway County Council is now proposing to advance the scheme under the devolved small schemes programme.

Willie Penrose

Question:

771 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will utilise a number of pilot areas in an initiative to gauge the best way to advance the sewerage services of rural towns and villages; if his Department, under this initiative, will consider positively an application from Westmeath County Council to have a village (details supplied) accepted as a pilot site for the proposed initiative due to the special circumstances outlined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1044/01]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

I am awaiting the recommendations of the national rural water monitoring committee on the waste water infrastructure needs of rural villages. I will consider the matter further as soon as the committee's report is to hand.