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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 15 Oct 2003

Vol. 572 No. 4

Written Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Arthur Morgan

Question:

215 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government if there are any big cities and towns which continue to discharge untreated sewage into the sea; if so, the cities or towns in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23528/03]

Since 2000, under my Department's water services investment programme, the provision of waste water treatment systems has been completed in the major coastal towns of Drogheda, Dundalk, Midleton, Westport, Wexford and Courtown and Riverchapel. The Ringsend waste water treatment plant, officially opened by the Taoiseach in June, provides for the waste water treatment requirements of all of Dublin city and south Dublin, significant areas of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Fingal, and parts of County Meath. By the end of 2003, Cork, Limerick, Galway and many other smaller urban areas will also have state-of-the-art waste water treatment facilities in place and operational.

Other major coastal schemes under construction, or due to start this year, include the Carrigaline, Cobh, Dungarvan, Sligo, Tramore and Waterford main drainage schemes. Schemes for Bray, Bundoran, New Ross and Shanganagh are approved for funding to commence in 2004, together with the Arklow main drainage scheme, subject to the outcome of current legal proceedings relating to the proposed location of the treatment plant in the latter case. The latest phase of my Department's water services investment programme, covering the period 2003 to 2005, includes all the schemes required to give effect to the commitment in the programme for Government that all centres with a population of over 1,000 will have secondary waste water treatment in place, or at an advanced stage of planning, by 2005.

Michael Ring

Question:

216 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if there is assistance available from his Department to aid a group water scheme, in a CLÁR area (details supplied), to install three phase electricity for their water filtering system. [23585/03]

Funding for group water schemes and for conversions from single to three-phase electricity is provided under two separate measures of the CLÁR programme. Under the group water schemes measure, CLÁR provides top-up funding to a maximum of €4,382 where the cost per house in a CLÁR area exceeds €7,618.42, rather than for a specific cost element of the proposed project. This is additional to normal Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government grant aid for group water schemes. In other words, all costs, including power supply, are included in the estimates for work to be carried out when calculating the above figures.

Under the second measure, CLÁR funds the cost of the customer contribution to the ESB for conversion from single-phase to three-phase electricity supply for small businesses and enterprises in CLÁR areas, subject to certain limits. Group water schemes are therefore ineligible for support under this measure, otherwise double funding of such projects would arise. The person concerned may be eligible to apply under the first heading above, subject to the conditions outlined.

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