Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 3

Written Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Enda Kenny

Question:

172 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the pricing structure to be levied on users of sewerage schemes provided by the design, build and operate method; if a capping system exists in respect of charges for this facility; the categories of premises that will be affected; his views on whether this method of charging is inequitable in comparison to the use of schemes provided by direct Government grant aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4845/02]

Enda Kenny

Question:

174 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the effect of charges on users of sewerage and sludge treatment units supplied under the design, build and operate method in the context of the polluter pays policy where such users already pay rates to a local authority; his views on whether such charges will be seen as a second form of rate payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4847/02]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 174 together.

In accordance with Government policy and EU requirements on the application of the polluter pays principle to water services provision, local authorities are required to recover from all non-domestic users the operational and marginal capital costs of providing such users with water and waste water services. The method by which water services infrastructure is procured has no direct relevance to this policy other than that innovative procurement options such as by way of public private partnerships may be expected to generate efficiencies which may result in lower end user charges than would otherwise apply. Where local authority water services costs are recovered directly from non-domestic end users, this should be reflected in an appropriate adjustment to the commercial rate.

Enda Kenny

Question:

173 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the criteria used and the reason for decisions to provide a sewage treatment and sludge treatment plant by way of the design, build and operate system for Castlebar, County Mayo; the reason it was not considered appropriate to have this provided by normal method of Government grant assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4846/02]

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

Mayo County Council's proposal to procure the waste water treatment plant and sludge hub centre elements of the Castlebar environs sewerage scheme by way of a design-build-operate contract is in accordance with the council's public private partnership applicability report for the scheme. The report concluded that this form of procurement would provide the most favourable solution in terms of cost, performance, time and risk. DBO procurement will not affect the method of providing capital funding of the scheme.

Question No. 174 answered with Question No. 172.

Question No. 175 answered with Question No. 170.