asked the Minister for the Environment when he will approve plans for the Lisheen group water scheme, County Roscommon; if approval will include a special contribution to the group; and if so, the amount.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Roscommon Group Water Scheme.
15.
The revised design for this scheme was approved in 1987 and grants totalling £264,200 have been allocated by my Department. Roscommon County Council propose to pay a special contribution towards the cost of the headworks and these costs are at present being evaluated. That is good news for the Deputy.
I should like to thank the Minister for the good news and to remind him that it was Deputy Boland who granted approval for this scheme lest he be taking any credit for it himself. Can I ask the Minister when the additional mileage of piping will be grant aided for the Lisheen scheme. The Minister referred to the headworks and he was correct in saying that grants have been approved for that but it is planned to have ten miles of water mains. However, the plans for what are known as the Lisheen group water scheme are still held up in the Minister's Department, or at least were held up until last week. Can the Minister say when it is hoped to have those cleared?
I am not unaware that Deputy John Boland did some good things while he was Minister for the Environment, not a lot but some.
I did not get hoarse trying to raise money for my party in America.
Perhaps the matter might have been cleared up quicker had the Department's letters in July 1987 been responded to earlier than last October. However, that being the case, and as the Deputy knows the reason for the original delay was the change of source, the county council have now indicated their intention to the Department to pay a special contribution. The approval has been specified but the exact final figure has not yet been agreed. However, the special contribution will be paid. As soon as that is approved, sanctioned, sent down and notified the work can commence and I expect that to happen shortly.
Can the Minister give an approximate date for the approval?
I think I will be doing something in that regard in the immediate future. There are some other schemes involved and I promise to include this one also.