Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Martin for his question. It should be noted that, in the first instance, this is a matter for Fingal County Council. The role of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in regard to water services projects is to provide capital funding for the works that are involved. Beyond the inclusion of the project in the investment programme for planning and funding of the planning stage, the Minister has had no role in the development of these proposals. It is a matter for Fingal County Council to advance this project further in the planning process.

Following the identification of a preferred site by Fingal County Council, the council is required to prepare detailed plans and complete an environmental impact statement, EIS. That EIS, together with the planning application under the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006, will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála, which will carry out its own statutory public consultation on this project.

Deputy Martin is aware that in March 2011, Fingal County Council appointed consultants to prepare a preliminary report and an environmental impact assessment for the greater Dublin regional drainage project, the north Dublin treatment plant and the orbital sewer. The identification of potential locations for the regional wastewater treatment plant was an important part of this process. The general scope of that project has been developed as part of the greater Dublin strategic drainage study and the strategic environmental assessment of that study.

I understand that as part of the alternative sites assessment process for the project, Fingal County Council identified nine different potential land parcels in the northern part of the greater Dublin area within which a proposed regional wastewater treatment plant could potentially be located, along with a marine outfall and an orbital drainage system. Of these nine land parcels, three sites were then identified by the council as the preferred site options. Yesterday, the council announced that the preferred option for the location of the wastewater treatment plant is at Clonshaugh, with the outfall pipe being 6 km out to sea from Baldoyle. Non-statutory public consultation was carried out at each stage of this process by the council. I understand that the announcement was made to the elected members of Fingal County Council at the council meeting held yesterday afternoon. The council has determined that the Clonshaugh option is the better ecological and environmental solution, is more technically advantageous and provides the best value for money.

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