Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 19 Oct 2005

Vol. 608 No. 1

Adjournment Debate.

Decentralisation Programme.

Mr. Walsh

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this important question to be addressed in the House tonight. I also thank the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, for taking the question.

Clonakilty in County Cork was identified as the location for the decentralisation of Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in the first week of December 2003. Two years later, not a stroke has been struck in Clonakilty with regard to this matter. All of 2004 was spent in reconnoitring the town. Eventually, in May 2005, a site was acquired. An advertisement appeared in 2004 asking for expressions of interest to construct office accommodation for this proposed decentralisation and, to date, no tendering arrangements have been put in place.

My problem is that 215 people volunteered to go to Cork, of their own volition and without any arm twisting. These people, along with their parents, are now making representations to me seeking to find out when the new office accommodation will be available. I have made representations a number of times on this matter.

In one such representation, I received a reply from the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, dated 25 August 2005 stating that "subject to agreement of the briefs, the OPW expects to be in a position to invite tenders in the next few weeks". I then received a letter from the same Minister of State on 11 October stating that:

[I]n relation to BIM, the OPW recently met with representatives of BIM with a view to finalising their brief of requirements. The OPW is pressing for an early resolution of the matter and subject to agreements we will then be able to go to tender.

I then decided to table a parliamentary question to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. I received a reply in Question No. 432 of 18 October stating:

I expect consultation between the Department, BIM and the OPW, on the fit out and design elements in each organisation's specification, to get under way shortly[.]

In other words, nothing has happened.

I want the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, to tell me when this procrastination and vacillation will stop. As for the people who have volunteered to return to their roots in west Cork, can they be given any hope, or is this all a mirage? I want a definite and specific commitment that the 215 staff from the Department of Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources and Bord Iascaigh Mhara who have volunteered to go to Clonakilty will be accommodated there. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply on this matter.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. B. O’Keeffe)

On behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, who has special responsibility for the Office of Public Works, I thank Deputy Walsh for giving me the opportunity to outline the position regarding the office accommodation for the decentralisation of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and Bord Iascaigh Mhara to Clonakilty in County Cork. I acknowledge the absolute commitment of Deputy Walsh to the decentralisation project to Clonakilty and his constant representations in that respect, particularly on behalf of those people who have indicated their willingness to decentralise. The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, has apologised for not being present but had a prior engagement in County Westmeath which was arranged some weeks ago. My understanding is that he has communicated this information to Deputy Walsh.

As the Deputy is aware, a site has been acquired by the OPW at Clonakilty for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and Bord Iascaigh Mhara. It is proposed to provide accommodation for 124 staff of the Department and accommodation for 97 staff, including three local staff, for Bord Iascaigh Mhara. The OPW has agreed the brief of requirements with the Department. A number of issues were raised at a recent meeting between the OPW and Bord Iascaigh Mhara and these issues are being examined.

Deputy Walsh should be aware that Bord Iascaigh Mhara requires significant on-site storage facilities. The OPW is carrying out an implementation study to ascertain how these facilities can best be accommodated on the site. It expects to have this work completed within a week.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara raised the question of providing crèche facilities. The provision of such facilities at decentralised offices was dealt with by the implementation group in its report of June 2004. It recommended that crèche facilities are a matter for the relevant Department to pursue given its own requirements and facilities available in the locality. Bord Iascaigh Mhara is also seeking to have its existing sea food development centre increased in size and officials in the OPW are in consultation with Bord Iascaigh Mhara on this matter.

It is the intention of the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, to meet members of the board of Bord Iascaigh Mhara on 25 October to discuss the matter further and the OPW intends pressing to have all issues resolved by the end of October 2005. Subject to such resolution, the OPW would be in a position to invite tenders before the end of November 2005.

Mr. Ring

Is Deputy Walsh any wiser after that?

Schools Building Programme.

Dr. Cowley

I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this important matter. Gaelscoil na Cruaiche is doing a wonderful job and is a great success. In September 2005, 197 pupils were enrolled, there were nine permanent staff, one full-time and three part-time special needs staff and eight part-time ancillary staff. Already, 210 pupils are enrolled for September 2006. At the moment, it exists in a five prefabs in poor condition, a serious health and safety issue. Its lease will expire at the end of next May but this lease is non-renewable. Therefore, it must have everything off the site at the end of that school term. As such, the school must be included in the building programme to ensure accommodation on January 2006.

I have raised this matter repeatedly and the answers I received include in December 2004 that the property management section of the Office of Public Works was exploring the possibility of acquiring a site and on 28 September that site negotiations are under way and once the site is finalised, the project will be considered in progression in the context of the building programme. Despite this, on 13 October 2005, I was informed by the Minister of Education and Science:

The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department regarding site acquisitions generally, has identified a suitable site for the school referred to by the Deputy. The OPW has been in contact with a vendor regarding the acquisition of a site and is now awaiting a response.

We need to know if this school is on the building list. The Minister guaranteed that once the site was secured, this would be the case. The Minister told me that when a school is needed, a school would be built. I urgently ask the Minister of State to give an undertaking tonight that a school will be provided. Otherwise, 197 pupils will be on the street, 210 by next year.

This issue has been well flagged. The Department has been aware for the past four or five years at least that the lease would expire and nothing less than a commitment tonight will do. Will the school be included in the building programme? Will the pupils be out on the road or will they have a new school? If not, why not? These pupils deserve the very best as they and their teachers have worked very hard and deserve more than to be left in this limbo situation.

Mr. Ring

I welcome the opportunity to raise this matter. We now know a site has been identified and bought, as the OPW has agreed a price. It is a matter for the Westport Town Council. As the Minister of State knows, the council can buy all the land it wants but cannot sell a blade of grass without a council meeting and this issue will be on the agenda over the next week or two.

We have fought long and hard to get the site. It has been identified and I hope it will be in the possession of the OPW in a very short time but what is now needed is a commitment from the Department of Education and Science that the school will be included in the schools building programme for next year.

Gaelscoil na Cruaiche has been a major success and many parents are worried about the conditions their children must be educated in. The teachers, staff and management of the school are quite concerned. As Deputy Cowley said, the school's lease is up next year. It is important to include it in the programme as, for the town of Westport and the teachers, pupils and management of the school, it is necessary.

This school has waited a long time. The people involved have been very patient. If a number of steps must be jumped, it must happen because we do not want to still be fighting this time next year to get the school included in the programme. We want a commitment from the Minister for Education and Science that these children will be approved a new school, the project will go out to tender and we will see the school built sometime next year so that pupils can look forward to entering their new school the following September.

The site has been found, identified and a price agreed. I want the Minister to make a commitment to the west, particularly Westport. Recent announcements were made concerning the schools building programme and I hope the Minister will announce over the next day or two that this school will be included in the programme for next year.

Mr. B. O’Keeffe

I thank Deputies Ring and Cowley for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the proposals of the Department of Education and Science regarding the provision of a new facility for Gaelscoil na Cruaiche, Westport, County Mayo. Modernising facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task given the legacy of decades of underinvestment in this area and the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth.

None the less, since taking office, this Government has shown a sincere determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and ensure the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. We progressively increased funding for the school modernisation programme in recent years to achieve our goal, with an aggregate total of almost €2 billion allocated for this purpose since 1998, the largest investment programme in the history of the State.

Since the beginning of the year, the Minister for Education and Science has made a number of announcements relating to the schools building and modernisation programme. This year alone, €270 million will be allocated to primary schools and €223 million to post-primary schools for building works. The Minister recently announced an investment of €555 million over the next four years in projects to be delivered by way of public private partnerships.

Gaelscoil na Cruaiche opened in September 1996 with provisional recognition and was then granted permanent recognition in 2000. The school is currently accommodated in prefabricated classrooms on a three quarter acre site in the town of Westport. The cost of site and classroom rental is grant-aided by the Department of Education and Science at the rate of 95%. Provision is built into the schools building programme to enable schools to address urgent health and safety problems. Primary schools are given an annual allocation, currently amounting to €3,809 plus €12.70 per pupil under the grant scheme for minor works, which can be used entirely at the discretion of school management to address basic health and safety issues relating to the school itself and its infrastructure.

The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which purchases sites for new schools on behalf of the Department of Education and Science, was requested to explore the possibility of acquiring a site for Gaelscoil na Cruaiche. Following the most recent advertisement placed by the OPW seeking proposals of possible sites, a number of responses were received. The OPW arranged technical assessments of a number of sites to consider their suitability as a location for the Gaelscoil. The OPW has now commenced negotiation for the purchase of a site for the school.

Due to commercial sensitivities, I am unable to comment further on specific site acquisitions but I can assure the Deputies that the permanent accommodation needs of this school are being addressed as expeditiously as possible and that the provision of a permanent building for the school will be progressed in the context of the school buildings and modernisation programme when the site has been acquired.

As the board and patrons are already aware, the provision of interim accommodation remains the responsibility of the board.

Dr. Cowley

Will the Department of Education and Science pay?

Mr. B. O’Keeffe

The Department will consider any proposal made by the school authority in this regard given the limitations on the existing arrangements. I thank both Deputies again for raising this matter.

Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Mr. Sherlock

I hope that, when the Minister of State replies, he will not refer to land initiative programmes in the area of Doneraile. The estimated cost of the sewer length is €173,340 excluding VAT and the proposed turnpike at the Skaghardgannon extension would collect sewage from 15 houses. The Doneraile sewerage scheme has not been completed. The residents in the Skaghardgannon area recently received a letter from the environmental department of Cork County Council, stating that incidents of pollution had occurred in the area. The problem arises from the failure of the county council to provide a drain, which it was to have done at an earlier stage. That is creating a serious problem for the residents.

Given that the general main scheme is not completed, now is the time for the Minister to grant permission. Two areas, Turnpike and Skaghardgannon, are involved. I refer solely to Skaghardgannon. I received correspondence from a former Minister who stated a decision to include Skaghardgannon in the Turnpike cross sewer extension of the Doneraile sewerage scheme is ultimately a matter for Cork County Council. It is not. The main scheme and the various links made in the Doneraile area were done by the Department, and Skaghardgannon should be included. I hope the Minister of State will be positive in his reply.

Mr. B. O’Keeffe

I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to clarify the position. My Department's water services investment programme 2004 to 2006, published in May 2004, includes funding for 97 schemes throughout County Cork. As a Corkman, I am proud that the entire county will benefit from the Government's extensive investment in new infrastructure under the national development plan. In total, almost €543 million has been allocated under the water services programme for new water and sewerage schemes in Cork.

The Doneraile sewerage scheme was approved for funding as part of this package. The scheme consists of a new waste water treatment plant and sewage collection system and will cost more than €2.5 million. The waste water treatment plant for Doneraile will be procured as part of a grouped contract that will also include new treatment plants for Buttevant and Kilbrin. My Department is examining Cork County Council's tender documents for this contract. Although they were only submitted in recent weeks, the Department expects to be in a position to convey a decision to the council shortly. I assure Deputy Sherlock that I am just as anxious as he is to see approval being given to the council to commence work on this scheme at the earliest possible date.

The collection system for the Doneraile scheme is advanced as a separate stand-alone contract. Construction commenced in November 2004 on this element of the scheme. It does not extend to Skaghardgannon, and I understand it is close to completion. My Department has approved Cork County Council's proposals to add two sewer extensions to the Doneraile scheme, one from Turnpike Cross to Skaghardgannon on which Deputy Sherlock raised this issue, and the second from the industrial zoned area north of Turnpike Cross to Brough Cross.

The Department indicated to the council that it is willing to fund both extensions in accordance with the terms of the serviced land initiative. Under this measure the Department provides 40% of the capital funding for approved works on the basis that they will contribute to the supply of serviced residential sites and thus increase the availability of new houses for prospective purchasers. In putting forward this proposal, my Department saw an opportunity to provide waste water facilities for existing residents in conjunction with the provision of services to respond to the high potential for future residential development along both sewer lengths and, in addition, the existence of an industrial zoned area along the Turnpike Cross-Brough Cross branch that would also be connected.

Without the other development, both sewer extensions would serve no more than 30 existing houses at an estimated cost of approximately €600,000. The resulting average cost per house would be prohibitive and would not be justified on economic grounds by comparison with the cost of a proprietary single house treatment system that an individual householder could install to replace a malfunctioning septic tank.

The idea of funding the proposed sewer extensions under the terms of the serviced land initiative was put forward by my Department to try to find a way to help the householders involved. It would allow the householders to benefit from services that would be put in place with part-funding from my Department to serve potential new development in the area. If Cork County Council is interested in proceeding with this option, my Department is still prepared to meet 40% of the approved costs. The remainder would need to be recouped by the council from developers, including any borrowing costs the council might incur on its investment in the meantime.

Another alternative the council could consider would be to fund the sewer extension to Skaghardgannon from the annual rural water programme allocation it receives from my Department. Cork County Council has a total allocation of €2.4 million under this programme for small public schemes in 2005 and will benefit from further allocations in the years ahead. The council has complete discretion with the prioritisation of individual schemes under this measure and any decision to fund the Skaghardgannon extension would be entirely within its own remit. A number of options are open to Cork County Council. To a large extent the solution is dependent on Cork County Council, and the Department is prepared to co-operate in any way possible.

Mr. P. Breen

I am delighted the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, is present for this debate. I wish to focus attention on a serious issue affecting the people of Ennis. One takes for granted the quality of one's drinking water if issues regarding that quality do not arise. The Minister of State may be aware through coverage by the national media that for some time the county town's 25,000 residents have experienced problems with the water supply. It is partly a legacy of the rapid expansion of the town which 20 years ago had a population of approximately 10,000.

The result is that at different periods, particularly after heavy rainfall or a long dry spell, the town council, in consultation with the HSE, must issue a boil notice because of the risk of ingesting e-coli bacteria. The long-term solution is the provision of the sanctioned €6.5 million filtration plant which is not due to be completed until late 2007. That is two years from now.

The short-term solution is the provision of tankers of fresh water which could be augmented by the supply of bottled water for free or at a subsidised rate. Not everyone has a car to transport large containers of water. Another possible short-term solution is an investigation into the contamination source of the Ennis water supply. This could be conducted by a team of specialist consultant engineers. It would require departmental funding but that would be money well spent and would contribute to the long-term viability of the water. Much work has been done on the groundwater flows following an environmental impact study of the River Fergus drainage scheme. An extension of that type of study would be worthwhile and might contribute to the improvement of the town's water supply. I appeal to the Minister of State to consider this option seriously.

The issue is partly one of confidence, which has been eroded among the people of Ennis. Further afield, the message has gone out that one should not drink the water in Ennis. It does not make the winner of the 2005 Tidy Towns competition an attractive place in which to live or invest. Despite the assurances of the town council that a partial boil notice covering young people, children and immuno-deficient people is a precautionary measure, confidence in the town's water supply is at an all-time low.

I urge the Minister of State to impress on the county manager the necessity to sanction the use of tankers of fresh water without delay. I understand this would involve considerable expense over a two-year period. Perhaps an allocation of funds might be made for this unique situation. It is unacceptable that people of limited means, particularly parents of young children, should either pay for overpriced bottled water in supermarkets or experience the cost and inconvenience of boiling water. This is a stealth tax. With bottled water more expensive than petrol in many instances, people are paying rip-off prices. Their only alternative is to boil water. This is an expensive and not very palatable drink over a long period. The council says the "boil" notice currently applies to a small number of people. That is not the point, however. That a vulnerable group of people or those acting on their behalf are expected to fork out money to guarantee their fresh drinking water requirements is grossly unfair. The council has admitted that the water supply will be vulnerable until a new treatment plant is put in place. That simply is not good enough in terms of assessment of the water supply for a town the size of Ennis. An alternative to tankers might be a subsidised scheme of bottled water in conjunction with one of the major bottling companies.

Taxpayers should expect to have clean drinking water. I commend those businesses that have reduced their bottled water prices in Ennis. In this regard, I ask the water supply companies, wholesalers and supermarkets, to take a look at their pricing policies. All this underlines the urgency of a speedy end to the filtration project. I understand work on the plant will not start until next year and that the Department has approved the council's tender documents with some amendments. Five short-listed consortiums will have a four-month period to respond to those tenders. In turn, the analysis of those responses will take some time. The official reckoning is that this project will take up to two years to complete. Then it is expected the eventual contractor will require 15 months to commission and build the plant.

I urge the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, to do all in his power to speed up the process. I understand it is complex, involving design, build and operate contracts. However, in this case even weeks and months could make a difference to the quality of people's lives. There may be other mechanisms by which the minimum notice period under the public procurement process could be amended, given the urgency of the situation. There may be other windows of opportunity where a sense of urgency could prevail. In the meantime, some form of State-sponsored fresh water scheme is the least Ennis residents can expect while the contamination problem is being resolved. I urge the Minister of State to look at those options in the short-term.

Mr. B. O’Keeffe

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and I am glad to have the opportunity to respond to it. I visited Ennis a few weeks ago to see what the situation was on the ground and so have first-hand awareness of what residents and businesses have to contend with.

I express my concern to the people of Ennis and surrounding areas who have been affected by the "boil water" notices and echo the view that everything possible must be done to get this problem resolved. I am aware that there have been three "boil water" notices since last May, including one last Friday, which, I understand, was caused by a technical failure at the source. I fully appreciate that having to boil water, necessary though it may be to protect public health, causes inconvenience, distress and anxiety and should not be a regular occurrence in any part of Ireland today.

The problem with the Ennis water supply stems from the fact that the source is vulnerable to contamination, including contaminants from septic tanks or agricultural run off, and the only process the water is currently put though is chlorination. Disinfection by chlorination produces a good quality supply at nearly all times, but needs to be supplemented by additional treatment to remove the occasional risk associated with chlorine resistant organisms in the water.

The Ennis town water supply treatment scheme will put the necessary treatment facilities in place and has been approved for construction in my Department's water services investment programme at an estimated cost of €6.5 million. The Minister has given clearance to Clare County Council to invite tenders for the scheme and the money for it is ready and waiting in the Department. The Department's officials have assisted the council to speed up the finalisation of the tender documents and the council has already short-listed a panel of suitable contractors who will be asked to tender for the scheme.

Like everyone else in the House, I want to see the work getting under way at the earliest possible date. However, we must be realistic and remember that what we do now must solve the problem effectively and permanently. The reality is that we are looking at a period of about two years before that permanent solution is in place.

Mr. P. Breen

What happens in the meantime?

Mr. B. O’Keeffe

While this undoubtedly seems lengthy, the contractors will have to draw up and price, from scratch, a detailed design and specification, a construction programme, and a long-term operational and maintenance strategy. They will be required to demonstrate that they can supply the people of Ennis with a consistently high quality drinking water supply for the next 20 years that will be delivered at an economic cost to the council and to the non-domestic consumers who will have to pay for it. The design phase will take until next March. It quite simply cannot be completed any sooner without compromising the outcome to the long-term detriment of the town.

The contractors' bids will then have to be evaluated by the council and by the Department in order to select the best all round solution. Each of the bids will be different and the detailed technical assessments that will be needed to select the optimum proposal will take until the end of June. Construction and commissioning will take about 15 months and the new treatment plant should be operational by October 2007.

I do not wish to see the people of Ennis living under the threat of "boil water" notices in the meantime. In that regard, Clare County Council has advised my Department that it is investigating the availability of temporary treatment facilities. My Department will provide any help we can to the council with interim remedial measures. I also understand that, in the event of further disruption, the council will look at the provision of tankers to relieve the situation. The current "boil water" notice is expected to be lifted by the weekend.

A separate scheme, the Ennis water supply augmentation scheme, will provide Ennis with a supplementary water supply from Castlelake, and is approved for construction in my Department's water services investment programme. The department has already approved Clare County Council's proposals to lay some of the pipes for this scheme, at an estimated cost of €5.34 million, in conjunction with the Ennis bypass.

I am acutely conscious of the present highly unsatisfactory situation regarding the Ennis water supply. The Department is helping the council to bring about the earliest possible solution. We maintain close contact with the council and will be available at all times to offer whatever assistance and advice we can.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.40 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 20 October 2005.