Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 May 2012
484 Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when a decision will issue on an application for funding by Cork County Council (details supplied); if he will take into consideration the need to release funding to the council in order that it can repair a problem which is causing frequent distress to many residents in Kinsale, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25018/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are three distinct stages to water conservation on public water supply schemes. The first stage involves a local authority putting in place a water management system to enable the authority to monitor water use and loss throughout the supply networks. Under the second stage of the programme the authority establishes an active leakage control programme which involves locating and fixing leaks and, based on the results of these two stages, they must establish a prioritised pipe rehabilitation strategy for its area. The final stage comprises the rehabilitation and replacement of defective supply networks where repair has proven to be uneconomic due to the age or condition of the pipes.
In the case of Cork County, the Council has not yet completed the preliminary phases of water conservation, including the strategy for rehabilitation for water mains on a countywide basis. However, Cork County Council has recently submitted a proposal for advanced Stage 3 rehabilitation works to my Department involving works in 141 separate locations throughout the County. This includes proposals to rehabilitate almost 750 meters of watermain in Summercove, Kinsale. As a general rule, and in the interests of securing best value for money from Exchequer investment, the Department does not authorise a local authority to undertake mains rehabilitation works unless the authority has largely implemented the water management and leakage control works necessary throughout its functional area and has completed its strategy for mains rehabilitation on a prioritised county-wide basis. However, given the priority attached to water conservation and the level of unaccounted for water in the Cork County, my Department will assess the Advance Stage Rehabilitation Works proposals, including consideration of whether funding can be provided at this stage for the proposals contained therein for water main rehabilitation works in Summercove, Kinsale.
