Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A recently published report by the EPA has shone a light on the need to continually upgrade our sewerage treatment facilities. While 82% of the large areas achieved the mandatory EU quality standards, untreated sewage is being discharged from 45 urban areas, including areas in my constituency such as Kilkee, Kilrush, Liscannor, Ballyvaughan, Shannon and Clarecastle. After years of underdevelopment of our water and sewerage facilities, €5.5 billion investment in capital spending is planned by Irish Water up to 2021. For years, the people of Shannon town in my county have had to endure the foul odour from the sewers. Thankfully, significant works are now under way to alleviate the problem.

An options study for the treatment of currently untreated discharges at Kilrush, Kilkee, Liscannor, Ballyvaughan and Clarecastle has also commenced. I hope that Irish Water will prioritise this study and the subsequent systems upgrade because it is extremely important for these areas. They are tourist destinations and sewerage infrastructure needs to be fast-tracked for them.

That planned infrastructure is very welcome. However, there is a problem in rural areas. There is significant cost involved in delivering a sewerage scheme in these areas which results in them falling outside the funding criteria for the current group sewerage scheme programme. Carrigaholt in west Clare is one example. People in this area have been campaigning for the development of a sewerage scheme for years. Carrigaholt is a key destination on the Wild Atlantic Way and is the home of the fishing industry, particularly the shellfish industry. It also has a very strong reputation for good food. Those who watched "Daniel and Majella's B&B Roadtrip" on UTV will have seen that they had very successful visit to Carrigaholt. It is an extremely busy tourist destination during the summer and people stop off there en routeto Loop Head lighthouse.

In 2014, €10,000 was allocated by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government towards the cost of a feasibility study into whether this scheme could be provided under the group sewerage scheme. The outcome was that it would not be feasible due to the costs involved and that it would not be sustainable relative to the grant available for the number of domestic properties to be served. However, the feasibility study proposed a joint funding approach between the Department, Irish Water and the local community. With this in mind, Clare County Council submitted a asset needs brief for the scheme in early August. However, Irish Water has now advised the council that it cannot fund this project within its current structure. Once again, it has highlighted the difficulty with this. There is a need for joined-up thinking on this, particularly in respect of funding. Clare County Council had been very proactive on the issue. It has engaged with Irish Water and the Department and I commend it on its efforts in this regard. However, despite the council's best efforts, we are still at an impasse.

The capital cost of sewerage schemes in rural areas is an issue. The cost of such schemes cannot be met by the householders alone because they are excessive, so we need a new approach to subventing these schemes. Clare County Council and Irish Water recommend a joint approach and I believe this is the way forward. While sewerage facilities are critical on environmental grounds, it is important that a funding mechanism is found to deliver these schemes in rural areas.

Will the Minister of State consider Carrigaholt as a pilot project? It is a destination along the Wild Atlantic Way and depends on tourism and fishing. A pilot project that brings the relevant stakeholders together and uses a joined-up approach could deliver a solution for Carrigaholt. I hope the Minister of State has some good news in that respect or will think about making Carrigaholt a pilot for small towns and villages.

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