Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 July 2006

Thursday, 6 July 2006

Questions (745, 746, 747, 748, 749, 750, 751, 752)

Jerry Cowley

Question:

744 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps being taken by his Department to ensure a sewerage scheme is installed in the Achill Sound area of County Mayo which will serve the full community, which will be affordable to the community and which will serve future generations; his views on whether these steps are necessary in view of the fact that it is on the cards for 15 years and in view of the fact that the polluter pays principle means that it is making the scheme economically impossible; if he will examine the situation; his views on meeting with the group to outline the possibilities available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27448/06]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Roche)

I refer to the reply to Question No. 250 of 29 June 2006.

My Department is in discussions with Mayo County Council in relation to the scheme and will consider urgently revised proposals which the Council has undertaken to submit within the next few weeks.

Catherine Murphy

Question:

745 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the proposed increase in abstraction levels at Ballymore Eustace, County Kildare will take effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27469/06]

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Roche)

The Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant Expansion Scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 as a scheme to commence construction this year.

Dublin City Council's tender recommendations for both the civil and mechanical and electrical contracts for the scheme are under examination in my Department and are being dealt with as quickly as possible.

Question No. 746 answered with Question No. 739.

Catherine Murphy

Question:

747 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of applications for works which have been made to his Department in the context of the water services investment programme; the number of these which were granted, refused, commenced and completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27471/06]

Catherine Murphy

Question:

748 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of counties which have applied for the construction or expansion of water and waste water treatment plants each year since 2000; the number of these applications which have been granted; the extent of funding allocated for such works; the number of these projects which have been completed; if there were unsuccessful applications; if so, the reason for their failure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27472/06]

Catherine Murphy

Question:

749 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to any county experiencing water shortages due to increased demand for service; the way in which such shortages are to be resolved; the measures he has taken to ensure that such shortages are prevented from occurring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27473/06]

Catherine Murphy

Question:

750 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of households approximately which derive their water supplies from each local authority's water supply network at present; the water services infrastructural upgrades which have been made in each county since 1996; the increases in the volume of water abstracted from sources which have occurred in each county since 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27474/06]

Catherine Murphy

Question:

751 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, regarding the water services investment programme, census figures pertaining to population increases will be taken into account when planning for development of the water services system; if the national level of housing construction has been taken into account when devising the investment programme; if the programme is sufficiently flexible to accommodate significant fluctuations in housing construction which may affect the level of water supply required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27475/06]

Catherine Murphy

Question:

752 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there is an established minimum level of service pertaining to water provision that must be provided to households who source their water via local government mains supply; if so, the way in which this level of service is guaranteed; if he has satisfied himself that it is maintained; if not, his views on introducing guidelines in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27476/06]

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Roche)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 747 to 752, inclusive, together.

Management of public drinking water supplies is the responsibility of the local authorities, which have a range of instruments and measures available to them to produce and conserve sufficient stocks to meet anticipated needs. New infrastructure projects including water conservation works, are approved for funding under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme mainly on the basis of priorities identified in regular assessments of needs undertaken by local authorities, at my Department's request, as an input to the overall strategy for meeting public water supply and waste water requirements. The latest assessments were carried out in 2003 and the resulting priorities have been taken into account in the framing of subsequent phases of the Water Services Investment Programme. The current phase of the Programme, which sets out my Department's investment strategy for the years 2005 to 2007, including details of all approved schemes and the associated funding, is available in the Oireachtas Library. Information in relation to other scheme proposals may appropriately be sought from individual local authorities.

Local authorities have recently been asked by my Department to produce updated water services needs assessments and to review their infrastructural priorities in light of economic, demographic and other developments, including housing, that have taken place since the previous assessments were completed in 2003. These assessments will identify requirements for additional water production, treatment, storage or distribution capacity and will inform future phases of the Water Services Investment Programme. In addition, should there be an urgent need to expedite an individual proposal in response to particular circumstances new schemes may be added to the Programme at any time.

Some €3.7 billion will be spent under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 on the provision of water services infrastructure. A total of 334 water services schemes were completed under the Water Services Investment Programme in the period 2000 to 2005.

Information regarding households whose water supplies are provided by local authorities is available in Table 13 of Volume 13 of the 2002 Census of Population published by the Central Statistics Office, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library. Details of public water supply schemes completed in the period 1996 to 2005, which have produced additional drinking water treatment capacity equivalent to the needs of a population of 1.1 million, are set out in the following tabular statement. The increase in storage capacity over the same period was sufficient to meet the requirements of a population of over 1.6 million.

Table: Water Supply Schemes completed 1996-2005

County	Scheme
1996
Cork	Macroom Water Supply
Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown	Dún Laoghaire Water Supply
Fingal	Blanchardstown Water Supply Phase 2
Kerry	Dingle Water Supply
Leitrim	South Leitrim Regional Water Supply Stage 4 Phase 1
Limerick City	Limerick City Water Contract 9
Mayo	Lough Mask RWS Stage 2 (Ballinrobe/Claremorris)
Tipperary South	Tipperary Town Water Supply Augmentation (Reservoir)
Wicklow	Roundwood (Vartry) Water Works
1997
Clare	Kilkee Water
Galway	Tuam Regional Water Scheme
Galway	Inish Oirr Water
Meath
East Meath (Kiltrough Tower) Water
Kildare	Naas Water
Sligo	Lough Talt Water
Mayo	Westport Water (Leakage Control)
Mayo	Westport Water
Meath	Trim Water
Roscommon	Boyle/Ardcarne Water
Tipperary	Nenagh Water
Wicklow	Arklow Water (Goldmines)
1998
Galway	Spiddal/Rossaveal Water
Mayo	Erris (Ext. to Bangor) Water
Limerick	Askeaton/Pallaskenry (Phase 1) Water
Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown	Ballyboden/Stillorgan Water
Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown	Dún Laoghaire Water Phase II
Fingal	Howth Water
Kildare	Castledermot Water
Kildare	Leixlip NE Kildare Water
Donegal	Buncrana (Pollan Dam) Water
Laois	Portlaoise Water
Kilkenny	Gowran/Paulstown Water (Source Protection)
Meath	Ashbourne/Dunshaughlin Water
Offaly	Clara Water
Tipperary South	Galtee Water
Westmeath	Tyrellspass Water
Cork City	Chetwynd Water
1999
Cork City	Glen/Bride/Kiln River — Phase 3 & 4
Cork	Cork City Water — Chetwynd Main
Meath	East Meath Regional Water Scheme
Meath	East Meath Regional Water Scheme (Kiltrough Water Tower)
Monaghan	Castleblayney Water Supply Improvement Scheme
Monaghan	Monaghan Water Contract 1 — Pipelines
Roscommon	North East Roscommon Water Ext. to Ballagh/Ballybeg
Roscommon	North East Roscommon Water Ext. to Tarmonbarry
Roscommon	North Roscommon Water Supply Scheme Intake
Sligo	North Sligo Regional Water Scheme
Tipperary	Ardfinnan Water Supply Scheme
Waterford	East Waterford Water Supply Scheme — Contract 5, 6 &7
Waterford	East Waterford Water — Emergency Contract (Civil Works)
Waterford	East Waterford Water — Emergency Contract (M & E)
Wexford	Fardystown Water Supply Scheme Contract 2
2000
Cork	Blarney Water
Cork	Fermoy Water
Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown	Dún Laoghaire Water Supply Contract 7 Telemetry
Fingal	Leixlip Water (Phase II) (4,5,6,7,& 9)
Galway	Oughterard Sludge Facilities (Water Scheme)
Kildare	Monasterevin Water
Limerick	Limerick Trunk Mains Rosbrien
North Tipperary	Templemore Water
Waterford	East Waterford Water Supply Stage 2 Phase 1
Cork	Ballincollig Water Supply
Cork	Ballyvinter Water Scheme
Cork	Glanmire Water Supply, Castlejane
Cork	Glashaboy Water Supply, Caherlag
Cork	Kinsale Water Supply Ardbrack
Kerry	Caherciveen Water Supply Ext. Water
Kildare	Castlecomer Road to Glendine WS
Kildare	Kildare/Rathangan Water Supply
Laois	Water Supply Mains Knockmay
Longford	Ardnacassa
Louth	Clogherhead Water/Sewerage
Mayo	Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe
Meath	Kilmessan Water Supply SLI
Offaly	Cloncollig WSS
Offaly	Kilcormac (W+S)
Offaly	Silver River (Collins Lane/Arden)WSS
2001
Cavan	Bailieborough RWS St. 1
Galway	Tuam RWS (Phase III) W
Galway	Tuam RWS Ext. to Athenry
Louth	Drogheda WS
Limerick	Limerick Environs & Shannon Estuary WSS Phase 1
Mayo	Ballina RWS (Wherrew)
Mayo	Erris RWS ext. to Mullet Peninsula
Mayo	Lough Mask Sludge Treatment (dewatering @ Tourmakeady )
Monaghan	Monaghan Water
North Tipperary	Roscrea Water
Roscommon	Roscommon North RWSS (Fairymount/Loughlynn)
Sligo	Sligo & Environs Water
Westmeath	Mullingar Water (Taughmon)
Donegal	Dungloe Water Supply SLI
Kerry	Brosna/Knocknagoshel WS
Kerry	Cahermoneen & Knocknacuig W& S SLI
Kildare	Kildare Planning and Dev. of Phases 1A and 1B of Water Supply Strategy
Louth	Greenhills W&S SLI
Mayo	Killala Water SLI
Mayo	Newport/Mulranny Water Augmentation SLI
Sligo	Curry WS RTVI (Rhue/Curry/Bellaghy WSS)
2002
Galway	Ballinasloe (Laurencetown) Water
Meath	Longwood Water
Offaly	Ferbane Water
Cavan	Tanderagee/Curkish Water & Sewerage
Cork	Blarney — Water supply and Sewerage at Station
Cork	Buttevant WS — RTVI
Galway	Inishmore Water
Kildare	Kilcock Water Improvement
Kildare	Kilcullen Water
Kildare	Nurney Water
Mayo	Westport Rd., Louisburgh — Water Ext
2003
Wexford	Fardystown Water Supply
Clare	Newmarket-on-Fergus (Advance)
Cavan	Bailieboro R W S S — Stage 2
Mayo	Lough Mask RWS (Knock — Ballyhaunis)
Meath	Navan Water (Interim Works)
Limerick	Foynes Water Supply
Galway	Galway Water (Phase 3) Ext of Tuam Regional Water to Galway)
Waterford	East Waterford Water Supply Contracts 17A&B 1**
Westmeath	South Westmeath Regional Water Supply Scheme Advance Works Augmentation of Supply to Moate
Westmeath	Mullingar Regional Water Supply Scheme — Treatment (Lough Owel)
Monaghan	Clones Water Scheme
Carlow	Hacketstown WS RTVI
Mayo	Ballycastle Water. SLI
Meath	Longwood Water Supply Scheme
2004
Dublin City	Water Source Dev Planning Short Term Sources
Leitrim	North Leitrim Rural Water Supply Scheme
Louth	Dunleer/Mid-Louth RWSS Advance Works
Limerick	Southern Ring Watermain
Mayo	Lough Mask RWSS — Extension Balla to Ballyheane
Galway	Gort RWSS Advance Works
Kildare	Castledermot Water Stage 2 RTVI
Wicklow	Baltinglass Water Supply
Tipperary NR	N52 Outer Ring Watermain SLI
2005
Westmeath	Mullingar RWSS Sth Western High Level Area
Dublin City	Bohernabreena Spillways
South Dublin	Lucan High Level WSS
Mayo	Achill 4C
Kildare	South Kildare Water Supply Scheme RTVI
Dubin	Pelletstown W&S Scheme SLI

Notes

WS = Water Supply

SLI = Serviced Land Initiative

RTVI = Rural Towns & Villages Initiative

Question No. 753 answered with Question No. 739.