Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Feb 2003

Vol. 560 No. 3

Written Answers. - National Development Plan.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

119 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the degree to which targets for roads, sanitary services and waste management set in the national development plan have been achieved to date; the prospects for target achievements in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2430/03]

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

The National Development Plan 2000-06 provides for a total investment of over €7.7 billion for programmes in the areas of non-national roads, water and wastewater and waste management. The total allocation for non-national roads in the NDP is just under €2.5 billion. I am happy to report that good progress continues to be made under this measure, which provides for the development, upgrading, maintenance and restoration of regional and local roads. This was confirmed by the evaluation of investment in the road network, an independent study carried out by economic consultants Fitzpatrick Associates, published in August 2002, and available in the Oireachtas Library.

Last week I announced that I was providing €433.986 million for non-national roads in 2003. To put this in context, this year's provision is double the 1997 provision and represents €4,346 for every kilometre of non-national roads in every county in Ireland. The NDP provides for investment amounting to almost €4.4 billion on water and sewerage schemes. Over the first three years of the NDP, €1.525 billion was spent on these schemes. This amount was slightly ahead of the projected expenditure of €1.485 billion and resulted in 208 schemes being completed by mid-2002.

The water services investment programme for the years 2002-04 contains over 600 individual water and sewerage schemes, including 129 new schemes. Some €164 million was spent on the rural water programme in the three years to the end of 2002, with increased expenditure planned for 2003 and beyond. The investment target for the provision of waste infrastructure under the national development plan is €825 million, with the funding to be provided principally by private finance through public private partnerships. Progress has been slow to date on major infrastructure elements of the waste management programme, but this is expected to improve as key projects are advanced under the regional waste management plans.

There has been good progress in relation to local recycling and recovery initiatives. In November 2002 I announced the first round of grant allocations totalling €14.3 million in respect of waste recycling facilities. This initial round, which was for local authorities and was focused on projects that were under way or capable of early delivery, will be followed by a further round of allocations to private waste concerns, once clearance has been obtained from the European Commission under EU state aid rules. I hope to be in a position to announce further tranches of allocations in the coming months.

The Government is committed to providing the investment needed to carry out the improvements in public infrastructure envisaged under the NDP and which are necessary to sustain Ireland's competitiveness and future growth prospects. The Government's objectives in this regard are being maintained and we will continue to prioritise investment in capital infrastructure over the remaining years of the NDP.