Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would normally complain if the Minister from the relevant Department were not here to take my Topical Issue matter but I am glad to see a Minister of State at the Department of Finance is here because these issues inevitably go back to finance and the lack thereof. We are in the fortunate position at the moment where we have a surplus and a lot more money than we might sometimes have anticipated we would have, although there are questions regarding the ongoing reliability of that money and the period for which we can rely on it. Nevertheless, it is coming in. I am sometimes concerned that some of those moneys are not being used for infrastructural projects. There is the question as to what we will do if and when the money dries up.

The Minister of State and I, although our paths have diverged, both supported a Government that had no money to do anything and was trying to find money for ongoing expenditure and there was very little money for infrastructure.

One of the victims of that was Carrigaholt because there was an anticipation, particularly in the years up to 2009 and the years immediately thereafter, that a sewage infrastructure would be put in place in Carrigaholt. Like many other projects across County Clare and, indeed, across the entire State, that was shelved.

Irish Water was since established. I suppose to describe it as "great" would be perhaps to use an entirely inappropriate word, but Irish Water is struggling to improve the wastewater infrastructure of towns and villages where there already is a wastewater infrastructure. However, there are towns, villages and settlements where there is no wastewater infrastructure at the moment. Carrigaholt is one of those. Because there is no Irish Water infrastructure in place, Irish Water is saying that it is certainly not its problem. The same would be true of Broadford; Cooraclare, which is just up the coast from Carrigaholt; and Doolin, which is further up the coast again.

While the Minister has announced a pilot scheme of €50 million to introduce wastewater treatment plants in towns, villages and settlements where there is no treatment plant whatsoever, unfortunately, the sum of €50 million is entirely inadequate. It would not come near solving the problem in Clare alone, much less across the entire State.

When that scheme was announced, both Broadford and Cooraclare were put forward. A decision is anticipated. I have no problem with that. That was a decision which was made by Clare County Council and I suppose it made the decision on the basis that there were lands that were owned that were suitable, plans were in place and they were to some extend shovel ready. Carrigaholt was less shovel ready, but it is a real chicken and egg scenario because there is no fund to which Clare County Council can apply to get money to buy lands on which a sewage treatment plant will be located. There is no fund to which Clare County Council can apply to put the plans in place if the scheme is extended so that it can say it is shovel ready.

The community of Carrigaholt is a place I anticipate the Minister of State knows. Lots of people from Limerick holiday in Kilkee. I do not know where the Minister of State holidays or how much time he might have spent in Kilkee as a youth or, indeed, more latterly, but Carrigaholt is just down from Kilkee. It is a beautiful spot. It is on the verge of the lower River Shannon special area of conservation but there is no sewage treatment plant in place which obviously has environmental impacts but also has a serious impact on the potential to develop what is a beautiful village with significant potential for sustainable tourism. There is a real impetus in Loop Head to develop that type of tourism but without a sewage treatment infrastructure, it cannot proceed.

I am focusing on Carrigaholt. The same is equally true of Doolin, but it is much bigger project. It might take up a lot of the €50 million on its own but it needs to be done.

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