Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Feb 2003

Vol. 171 No. 12

Adjournment Matters. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Mr. Kitt

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this issue. In the spirit of the maxim that all politics is local, I am raising a local issue. As spokesperson on the environment for the Fianna Fáil Party in the House, I thank the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Cullen, for his presence.

I am interested in efforts to have a sewerage scheme in the town of Tuam extended to Airglooney which was the site of an Irish Sugar factory which provided employment for more than 1,000 people in its heyday. It is good news for the people of Tuam and surrounding areas that some industrial development is taking place on the old site.

One of the reasons for the delay in the scheme has been the construction of a significant amount of housing along Ballygaddy Road. From my inquiries to the local authorities and the Department, I have become aware that many queries have been raised concerning the total number of housing units to be provided in recent years. I understand that as many as 700 new houses are planned for the new route and proposals have been made for further housing estates. There are also more than 250 old houses on Ballygaddy Road and in Airglooney, some of which are old sugar factory houses.

Various costs have been given for the sewerage project. With an initial value of some £1.2 million, I presume the cost is now heading for €2 million. The decision of the previous Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Noel Dempsey, to place the Tuam scheme and others in the county on the list was a welcome development. We are very anxious, however, to have the scheme extended to Airglooney.

There are about 40 warehouses on the Airglooney site and about 70 acres of land which could be developed if the sewerage scheme was to be extended. I particularly welcome the fact that Tuam Engineering (Hynes) Limited is completing part of it, thus making a major local contribution to the estate. I hope the scheme will be extended as it would give a lift to Tuam. I thank the Minister for the interest he has taken in water and sewerage schemes in County Galway and hope we will be able to make further progress in the future.

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

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. As he is aware and has acknowledged, the provision of modern environmental infrastructure to support social and economic objectives has been and continues to be a major focus of Government spending. The unprecedented increase in investment by my Department on water and sewerage schemes under the current and previous national development plans has made a key contribution to economic growth which has benefited every part of Ireland.

Total investment in water and sewerage facilities over the period of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 will amount to almost €4.4 billion, of which more than €3.8 billion is earmarked for major public schemes. This investment is aimed at supporting economic and social development, employment generation and the achievement of high environmental standards.

In April 2002 the second phase of the water services investment programme under the current NDP was announced. This phase covers the years 2002-04 and is a continuation of a rolling strategy that will be progressively advanced up to the end of the NDP in 2006. The total allocated for Galway city and county under the current phase of the programme amounts to nearly €350 million in respect of some 46 schemes. The approved schemes include major sewerage projects for Galway city, soon to be completed, Clifden, Headford, Barna, Athenry, Ballinasloe and Kilronan as well as stage two of the Tuam main drainage scheme.

There are also major water supply schemes for Galway city, Carna-Kilkieran, Tuam regional water supply scheme, phase two, as well as regional water supply schemes for Clifden, Costelloe, Loughrea and Ballinasloe. These are the biggest of the schemes but many more towns and villages in the county are also covered and will benefit from the major push to bring our water and sewerage infrastructure up to a modern standard.

Funding has also been provided under the serviced land initiative to bring additional serviced residential sites on stream as rapidly as possible to meet housing needs at a number of key locations around Galway city and county. The proposal in relation to Airglooney is one such scheme. Countrywide, services to facilitate the provision of some 50,000 serviced sites have been provided and schemes to serve a further 50,000 sites are in progress.

The serviced land proposal in this case envisages an extension of the existing Tuam sewerage scheme on Ballygaddy Road, which, I understand, includes Airglooney and was approved for funding at an estimated cost of €1.1 million in 1998. However, the approved proposals were subsequently modified by Galway County Council in favour of a larger and more expensive scheme. My Department has received certain information requested from the council on the revised proposals but some further details requested from the council earlier this month are awaited. The outstanding information is needed to enable my Department to reach a decision on the revised proposal and see how both the overall Tuam main drainage scheme and the extension on Ballygaddy Road can be best advanced.

I have listened carefully to what the Senator has said. My Department will act promptly when it receives the outstanding information from Galway County Council to ensure he is able to deliver the scheme to his area.