Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 July 2013
395. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that the Doolin sewage treatment plant will be included in the current water services investment programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33349/13]
View answerThe Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in County Clare. The Programme includes contracts under construction and to commence to the value of some €41 million in County Clare during the period of the Programme.
The Programme aims to prioritise projects that target environmental compliance issues and support economic and employment growth. A key input to the development of the Programme was the assessment of needs prepared by local authorities, including Clare County Council, in response to my Department’s request to the authorities in 2009 to review and prioritise their proposals for new capital works in their areas. These were subsequently appraised in my Department in the context of the funds available and key criteria that complemented those used by the authorities. Inevitably, through this process, certain projects that had been proposed had to give way to others that were more strategically important at that time.
In May 2013, Clare County Council submitted an application to my Department to have the Doolin Sewerage Scheme included in the Programme. My Department is currently assessing this application against the relevant selection criteria under the Programme and a decision will issue to the Council as soon as possible.
