Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 23 May 1996

Vol. 465 No. 8

Adjournment Debate. - Leitrim Sewerage Schemes.

Mr. Ellis

I would like to thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the question of sewerage schemes in Leitrim on the adjournment. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Doyle, will be able to give an adequate answer on behalf of her ministerial colleague from the same constituency.

The three villages concerned, Dromod, Drumsna and Jamestown are known as Shannonside villages. All three are on the Shannon and have been in need of sewerage schemes for some time. Some years ago Leitrim County Council submitted proposals to the Department with regard to funding. To date no funding has been provided. I understand the schemes have been included for Cohesion funding from the EU and that this is the method of funding that is being followed by the Government.

Despite continual representations to the Department and to the EU, no final decision has been reached with regard to the provision of funding for the three villages concerned. It is important that this matter should receive urgent treatment in view of the fact that these villages have a major contribution to make to tourism. They already have facilities for dealing with cruiser traffic. Recently the Department of the Environment announced funding for the provision of a pumpout station at Dromod.

I hope the Minister of State, who is here on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, will be in a position to tell the people in those communities when they can hope to have schemes under way. The village of Dromod is awaiting decision on 18 planning applications for private houses to be built by individuals on their own sites which are delayed because of the absence of sewerage schemes. This is alarming in view of the population decline suffered by County Leitrim through the years. The three villages are also in the catchment area of the new Masonite project which means they will be major growth centres in the context of employment and the construction of new residences.

Mrs. Doyle

I thank Deputy Ellis for raising this matter. The Minister for the Environment, Deputy Howlin, has asked me to express his regret at being unable to be present to reply to the Deputy due to other business. I am glad to reply on his behalf and to put before the House the present position in relation to the provision of sewerage schemes for the villages of Dromod, Drumsna and Jamestown.

The provision of a modern environmental infrastructure in support of the whole economy is a high priority of this Government. This is a commitment which has been, and continues to be, well demonstrated by the huge investment in the water services programmes throughout the country. I am sure that the Deputy will agree that County Leitrim has benefited substantially from this investment.

Of particular note, in this regard, is the South Leitrim Regional Water Supply, a major infrastructural project costing approximately £6 million, which is funded entirely by the Exchequer and which will be completed shortly.

Leitrim is also set to benefit from EU funding under the INTERREG 2 Programme. This programme will provide funding for a number of schemes, including the Newtowngore and Keshcarrigan sewerage schemes' along the Border.

The Deputy will also be aware of the benefits which has accrued to Leitrim under the small schemes programme for water and sewerage schemes. Furthermore, as Dromod is an important stopping off point for the hire cruiser fleet using the River Shannon, the Minister recently approved a grant of £137,000 for the development of a sewage pumpout facility to be located there. This facility will also provide public toilets and showers for both cruiser and caravan visitors to this attractive riverside village. The Dromod facility is just one of 17 such projects which are being provided to service the expanding private and hire cuisers fleet using our inland waterways.

The Department of the Environment is aware of the apparent deterioration in lakewater quality in Lough Ree and is actively pursuing a strategy aimed at reversing this situation. Monitoring by the Environmental Protection Agency has shown that there has been a substantial increase in the level of bio-available phosphorous in the lake and the principal inflows to it. Nutrient input can be attributed to many sources but point sources such as effluent discharges from towns and villages together with diffuse agricultural sources are an area of particular concern.

With the objective of securing an overall improvement in the quality of surface and groundwater within the Lough Ree catchment, the Department, together with the four relevant local authorities, have formulated an integrated catchment protection scheme for Louth Ree involving all aspects of the control of nutrient input to the lake in order to prevent eutrophication. This catchment scheme is the subject of an application for assistance under the Cohesion Fund. Dromod and Drumsna are included in Stage 1 of the application. Drumsna is estimated to cost £625,000 and Dromod £800,000, out of a total projected investment for the catchment of more than £14 million. Further schemes, including Jamestown, may be included at later stages.

The Cohesion application relating to Stage 1 of the Lough Ree scheme was submitted to the Commission in December 1994. To date, there has been no decision by the Commission on the application. However, the Department of the Environment has been actively pursuing the application with the Commission with a view to securing its approval this year. I can assure the Deputy that the Minister will continue his best endeavours to ensure that these sewerage schemes can proceed at the earliest possible date.