Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

I would be pleased to receive that extra information. Regarding the treatment plant in Courtmacsherry, I am not blaming the Minister for the delay as he has only been in office for two years and this has been going on for years. I would have thought, however, that he would have pushed it to a conclusion. All that happens is that a scheme's proposals are sent back and forth to the Department with added proposals for six months at a time.

The Minister referred to revised proposals just received by his Department regarding the Courtmacsherry-Timoleague scheme. Last May I received a reply to a parliamentary question that the Department was examining a revised preliminary report for the same scheme. This was supposed to be included in the 2007 to 2009 investment programme. There is no way it will be built now before the end of the year. Will the Minister give an absolute commitment that he will give priority, as far as he can and in so far as his Department is concerned, to clear this problem?

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