A comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure has been approved for County Limerick in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library. The total value of contracts underway and those proposed for commencement during the period of the Programme in County Limerick is some €23 million.
The Programme aims to prioritise projects that target environmental compliance issues and support economic and employment growth. A key input to the development of the Programme was the assessment of needs prepared by local authorities, including Limerick County Council, in response to my Department's request to the authorities in 2009 to review and prioritise their proposals for new capital works in their areas. These were further appraised in the Department having regard, inter alia, to the level of funding likely to be available over the period of the programme. Inevitably, through this process, certain projects that had been proposed had to give way to others that were more strategically important.
The Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012 provides for the commencement of contracts relating to the Askeaton and Dromcollogher Sewerage Schemes whereas the Pallasgreen, Bruff, Hospital, Shanagolden, Adare, Foynes, Glin and Athea Sewerage Schemes were not included in the Programme.
My Department is examining Preliminary Reports for the Askeaton and Drumcollogher Sewerage Schemes. A decision on the Preliminary Reports will be conveyed to the Council as soon as possible.
My Department wrote to all local authorities at the end of March 2011 in relation to the annual review of the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012. The deadline for receipt of returns was 21 April 2011. Given the short time which has passed since the extensive review of the Programme was completed in 2009/2010, and having regard to the ongoing pressure on Exchequer funding generally, it is envisaged that only minor adjustments will be made to the Programme at this stage. Limerick County Council has proposed that the Adare Sewerage Scheme be included in the Programme. It is envisaged that a decision will be conveyed to Limerick County Council in relation to this proposal by the end of June 2011.
In addition, some of the schemes referred to were included in the Council's bids for funding under the 2011 Rural Water Programme. Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection and approval of individual schemes for advancement and funding under this programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant allocations provided, is therefore a matter for the local authorities with the exception, in the case of Limerick County Council, of a special allocation of €465,000, specifically for improvements identified under the River Basin Management Planning process, at Bruff Waste Water Treatment Plant.