Written Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.
Liam Aylward
Ceist:
185
Mr. Aylward
asked the
Minister for the Environment and Local Government
the sequence of events for sewerage schemes at Thomastown, Graiguenamangh and Kilmacow in County Kilkenny; the dates when approval issued in respect of each scheme; the estimated cost of the works; if there was any correspondence or communication between his Department and Kilkenny County Council; if undue delays have occurred to allow the schemes to progress; the authority or persons responsible in this regard; the reasons given for such delays; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that planning permissions in respect of developments in these areas are at a standstill due to objections from the South East Regional Fisheries Board; if his Department altered the method of the provision of the schemes; the steps his Department, in co-operation with Kilkenny County Council, propose to take in an effort to expedite completion of the above mentioned schemes and others; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30386/00]
The Graiguenamanagh and Kilmacow schemes were originally proposed for inclusion in the water services investment programme by Kilkenny County Council in 1991. The Thomastown proposal dates back to 1994. The proposals remained unapproved until I authorised their inclusion in the programme for the first time, in 1998 in the case of Thomastown, and in 1999 in the cases of Graiguenamanagh and Kilmacow.
In September 1999 the council's preliminary report for the Thomastown scheme, estimated to cost £1.6 million, was approved by my Department and the council was authorised to engage consultants to prepare contract documents. In October 1999 my Department issued a new policy circular (L12/99) to all local authorities requesting them to consider grouping projects on a catchment basis for procurement as single design-build-operate contracts in order to bring greater focus to water services investment in reducing the volume of sewage and phosphates entering inland waters from municipal discharges. In January 2000, the council sought the Department's agreement to the Thomastown scheme proceeding under the traditional procurement method in order to avoid delay in meeting pressing development requirements. The Department's agreement to this course was conveyed to the council on 21 February 2000, subject to consideration being given in due course to the operation of the completed plant being grouped with other suitable projects. In the meantime, a brief for the appointment of consultants to prepare the contract document's had been submitted by the council and this was approved by the Department in March. The submission of the contract documents by the council for approval is now awaited. Once the contract documents have been cleared the council will be free to invite tenders for the work.
Following the inclusion of the Kilmacow scheme in the 1999 investment programme, at an estimated cost of £1 million, a revised preliminary report for the scheme was approved in principle in July 1999, subject to the submission of certain additional information to the Department. A reply was received from the council in July 2000, following which they were asked to address a number of issues, including the feasibility of the scheme being advanced as a design-build or design-build-operate scheme in accordance with established departmental procurement policy.
In November 2000, the council requested my Department's agreement to the scheme proceeding under the traditional procurement procedure. However, the council has made no substantial case in favour of that approach and the Department's response of 24 November, to which a reply is awaited, advised it that the report requested in July would have to be submitted before a decision could be made in this respect. Apart from these procedural issues, I understand that the council has yet to finalise acquisition of the site for the treatment works.
Because the contract documents for the Graiguenamangh scheme, estimated to cost £1.6 million, had been approved at an earlier stage, the Department has raised no objection to this scheme proceeding along the traditional procurement route. The council's tender report and recommendation for the civil works contract was received in the Department in July this year. The Department subsequently sought clarification from the council on some aspects of the tenders and an amended report was received on 20 November. This is currently being examined in the Department and will be dealt with expeditiously. Work on the civil and mechanical and electrical elements of the project, which are the subject of separate contracts, will need to be co-ordinated. A tender recommendation for the mechanical and electrical contract has yet to be submitted by the council. When both tenders have been approved the council will be in a position to start work on the scheme.
I am anxious that these schemes should proceed without delay so that the development needs of the areas concerned are provided for as quickly as possible. Funding has been set aside for them in the water services investment programme and once the outstanding issues have been dealt with the council will be encouraged by my Department to progress the schemes to construction with all possible urgency.
