Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 May 2001

Vol. 537 No. 1

Adjournment Debate - Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Mr. M. Moynihan

I thank the House for the opportunity to raise this matter.

All Deputies will recognise the significant assistance the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, has given in his decision to develop and expand the group water schemes. He has introduced substantial improvements in the grants for new group schemes and the upgrading of works on existing schemes. In these cases he has increased the grant for dwellings and associated groups from £1,600 to £6,200.

Will the Minister consider making similar increases in the area of group sewerage schemes as an increase in the present grant level would considerably improve the lot of those seeking to establish homes and developments on the outskirts of rural towns and villages? In my constituency Newmarket, Kanturk, Boherbue and Kiskeam would benefit greatly from such a move and I urge the Minister to repeat the success he has effected with the group water schemes. The extension of group sewerage schemes is of the utmost importance to the people of Cork North-West and those of other rural communities. At a time of chronic shortage in housing and when the provision of serviced land initiatives is an urgent requirement, such a move would greatly increase the extent of such housing development land on the outskirts of the towns and villages in my constituency and elsewhere. The national committee monitoring rural water has reported to the Minister with proposals to meet the waste water and treatment needs of small rural communities and recommended the establishment of a pilot programme to test a range of new and modern small scale systems which could be used by group sewerage systems outside the immediate catchment area of existing schemes.

This move is to be welcomed as it is such action which sets this Government apart in the commitment shown to rural needs. Nevertheless, in recent years we have seen many instances of rural populations declining and small villages dying. However, where an existing sewerage scheme is in operation, by extending the grant from £1,600 to £6,200 it would make it economically viable for people to come together and form a group sewerage scheme. In some areas, like Newmarket, attempts to form a scheme have not been viable because the prohibitive costs set down by the county council specifications have made it impossible for individual houses to come up with the required money. However, because of the prohibitive cost set down by county councils, it is not economically viable for individual houses to come up with the required amount. I call on the Minister to increase the grants available to group sewerage schemes in line with those available to group water schemes.

Ms Hanafin

The Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, is unable to be present in the House this afternoon and has asked me to respond to the Deputy's Adjournment matter on his behalf.

Group water schemes have a proven track record as an efficient and cost effective means of meeting the piped water supply needs of rural communities. Almost 6,000 schemes have been completed since the inception of the programme in the early 1960s. The level of group sewerage scheme activity is relatively small compared to group water schemes, with only 150 schemes completed to date. In almost all these cases the group sewerage scheme consists of a wastewater collection system only which, in turn, discharges to a nearby local authority public sewer. Schemes are small, serving an average of six houses. No wastewater treatment or associated effluent or sludge treatment and disposal facilities are provided.

The Minister is concerned that small rural communities, such as those outlined by the Deputy, should have appropriate forms of domestic wastewater collection and treatment systems. Such systems should provide cost-effective and sus tainable wastewater treatment processes as well as associated sewers and drains. Given that the planning, construction and subsequent operation of these systems is far more challenging and complex than the type of infrastructure previously developed by group sewerage schemes, the Minister asked the national rural water monitoring committee to examine new approaches to the provision and operation of small scale rural sewerage systems. The committee's report, which was submitted to the Minister in February, recommends a pilot programme to test a range of new, small scale collection and treatment systems for use in rural communities. These systems should be procured by way of a design, build and operate contract. While the ownership of the completed scheme will be vested in the local authority, the contractor will be required to operate the plant over a 20 year period.

The Minister has accepted the committee's recommendation and tender documents for the proposed pilot programme are being prepared. The Minister will announce details of the pilot programme in due course. Subject to a satisfactory outcome of the pilot testing, the report envisages a potential role for group sewerage schemes in the collection of domestic wastewater from households outside the immediate catchment of the new treatment systems. However, any review of the level of capital grants, such as those sought by the Deputy, for group sewerage schemes will have to await the outcome of the pilot study.