Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 June 2012
443 Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has had any discussions with Fingal County Council regarding the proposal to site a new wastewater treatment plant in Clonshaugh, Dublin 17; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29243/12]
View answerThe Greater Dublin Regional Drainage Project — North Dublin Wastewater Treatment Plant and Orbital Sewer is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2013 as a contract to proceed through planning.
Fingal County Council is currently progressing the contract through the planning phase, which includes the identification of the most suitable site for the wastewater treatment plant and the route for the orbital sewer and outfall. In October 2011, Fingal County Council identified nine potential land parcels in the northern part of the greater Dublin area within which a proposed regional waste water treatment plant could potentially be located, along with a marine outfall and an orbital drainage system.
These nine land parcels were then assessed as potential locations in which to site the regional waste water treatment plant. The routes for the orbital drainage system and the marine outfall pipe locations were also assessed. Of these nine land parcels, three sites have now been identified by the Council as emerging preferred site options. I understand that the Clonshaugh site is one of these three sites. An eight week non-statutory public consultation period to assess these sites commenced on Monday, 14 May 2012, and runs until 6 July 2012. As part of this process, four open days are being arranged by the Council where the public can meet with the project team to discuss the report.
A final preferred option will only be chosen by the Council when this consultation process is completed. The preferred site option will then have to undergo statutory planning processes and I do not propose to prejudice those processes by commenting on the Clonshaugh option at this time.
