Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 5

Written Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Enda Kenny

Question:

134 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the position regarding the provision of water supply from either Lough Mask regional supply, County Mayo, or Lough Corrib regional water supply, County Galway, to Shrule and Kilmaine, County Mayo, and local group water schemes in these localities; if his attention has been drawn to the poor quality of water there at the present time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9541/02]

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

Contract documents for an extension of the Lough Mask regional water supply scheme to Kilmaine and Shrule were submitted to my Department in 1987 but have not been approved.

The scheme was thirteenth on the list of water schemes submitted by Mayo 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. An extension of the Lough Corrib scheme to the areas in question was not among the proposals listed by the council. The priority lists were taken into account in the framing of the water services investment programme 2000-02, announced in July 2000. Given this position regarding the prioritisation of both schemes, the level of competing demand and the limited funding available, it has not been possible to include either scheme in the programme.