Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My background is as a local councillor. I was first elected in 2004, having been co-opted in 2003. In my native county of Limerick, with the economy of that time, a number of sewerage schemes were bundled together, un-bundled and then re-bundled again. There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the Department and the council in respect of developing wastewater and sewage systems in our towns and villages. Much of this was driven by the drive for development at the time but there was also a need to upgrade these schemes. Now we are moving into an economic climate of seeking more housing and development. I welcome the initiatives that have been started by the Government. I welcome that the number of commencement notices and planning permissions in the private sector have increased. We need to do more because the demand for housing is extremely high at the moment. Coupled with this, we need to be looking at towns and villages in rural Ireland.

I refer particularly to strategic towns and villages within rural Ireland and in County Limerick that are on infrastructural routes. One town on which I have been working and that has been mentioned quite a bit is Askeaton, County Limerick, and another is Hospital, County Limerick. These towns are at capacity and cannot expand further without upgrade of the sewerage schemes. Putting the onus back on the private developers could put them off taking the risk to further develop housing. It is a chicken-and-egg situation. The Askeaton sewerage scheme was built some time in the 1940s and was to cater for 550 people. The 2011 census showed a population of about 1,150 there, which is double what it was. That has put huge strain on the existing sewerage system.

The local councillors have been writing to me about the problems that are arising in that town through Limerick City and County Council, which was my municipal area as a councillor. This issue has come with me since my time on the council. This also comes from constituents at particular times of the year, particularly after a heavy deluge of rainfall. Whether it is global warming or something else, we have seen more moisture and precipitation than usual over the last years, particularly during the fodder crisis this year. That is putting extra pressure on the sewerage scheme.

The Askeaton local area plan produced by Limerick City and County Council in 2015 states that the existing wastewater plant is overloaded and has been for some time. The system is currently failing to meet obligations under the EU directives such as, for example, the urban wastewater directive. Background levels of phosphorus in the Deel continue to exceed the limits of the surface water regulations. Preliminary studies for the council have identified the need for a new treatment plant and upgrade of the sewer network. Plans for the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant were included in Irish Water's capital investment programme for 2014 to 2016. Askeaton's competitiveness as a place to invest, locate business and sustain a good quality of life for a growing population is dependent on high-quality infrastructure including wastewater disposal. The council states that it will work with Irish Water to improve the primary discharge into the River Deel. It stated that all future development would require separate foul and surface connections to the appropriate collection network in compliance with the Department.

I ask the Minister of State to prioritise Askeaton in respect of wastewater treatment work. I have some other clarification issues to raise, particularly around the prioritisation of this work now that we have moved on to Irish Water.

See this speech in context