asked the Minister for the Environment when he will make a decision in relation to a request by Donegal County Council for a special subvention for the Belcruit No. 2 group water scheme.
Written Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.
380.
A decision will be made as soon as possible on Donegal County Council's request for approval to pay a special contribution to the Belcruit No. 2 group water scheme in respect of increased pipe sizes.
381.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware that proposed water and sewerage schemes in County Galway valued at £35.5 million are awaiting various stages of approval in his Department; if he accepts that sanitary services allocations to County Galway have been significantly lower than counties such as Mayo and Clare in the past five years; and if he accepts that there is a necessity for a significant increase in the capital allocation to County Galway in 1984 and subsequent years.
It is not correct to suggest that water and sewerage schemes on the scale mentioned by the Deputy are awaiting approval in my Department. The total value of schemes which are fully planned and could be considered for approval is estimated to be £2.5 million. Approval would depend on the priority given to those schemes at both local and national level and would have to be considered against the background that schemes which are either in progress or have already been fully approved for commencement in County Galway are valued at £9.5 million. Other schemes valued at £21 million approximately, which require the submission of additional information and material to my Department, are at various stages of planning. The amount of capital which any local authority receives under the sanitary services programme in a particular year is determined primarily by the amount of expenditure on schemes in progress and so reflects both the initiatives taken by the local authority in the formulation and planning of schemes and the degree of priority which particular schemes have commanded in the allocation of resources at national level from time to time. I have no reason to believe that the needs and proposals of local authorities in County Galway have received less than full consideration in this respect and I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to give full consideration to those needs and proposals. The allocations notified to the local authorities in County Galway in common with other local authorities early in 1984 were initial allocations only. Consideration will be given to increases in those allocations to the extent that expenditure by the local authorities warrants and the necessary proposals for sanction to the borrowing are submitted by each local authority concerned. In fact one supplemental allocation has alread been made to Galway County Council since the initial allocations were made.
382.
asked the Minister for the Environment the position regarding the water supply scheme for Inishbofin Island, County Donegal.
Donegal County Council propose to bring a piped water supply from the mainland to serve Inishbofin Island. Work is expected to be carried out in July. The council will finance the capital cost involved from an island water supply allocation already made to the council. The possibility of providing the houses with a water supply through the formation of a group scheme is being investigated by the council.