Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this issue. It concerns the urgent need to improve the sewerage scheme at Kilmallock in County Limerick. The current scheme is 50 years old resulting in environmental and developmental concerns in the village. There is concern that damage is being done to the Loobagh and Maigue rivers as a result of the lack of adequate facilities for sewage disposal in Kilmallock. The existing treatment system is unable to take the loading from the town. There is a serious lack of development in Kilmallock, a matter with which I will deal in greater detail later.

On 31 July 2003, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Cullen, promised, by way of a letter, that the scheme would commence in 2004. When will it commence and what is the expected date of completion? These are two vital questions to which the townspeople, traders and organisations in Kilmallock want answers. The environmental section of the council is anxious to ensure that sewage disposal in Kilmallock complies with EU urban waste water treatment work directives. The cost of the scheme is €9 million and the preliminary report is with the Department awaiting a response.

On 31 May, I was informed by the Minister that the council's brief for the appointment of consultants to prepare the contract documents was under examination by his Department, and that a response would be issued to the council within weeks. I would appreciate it, therefore, if the Minister of State would let me know what developments have taken place since then.

There is serious concern regarding development in the town. A proposal for the construction of 300 houses and a 20-bedroom hotel, which would be of enormous benefit to the town, is dependent upon completion of the sewerage scheme. There is a serious lack of employment opportunities in Kilmallock, which has lost approximately 260 jobs in the past five years, including 120 jobs in Diamond Engineering, 20 in Kerry Group Mill, and 120 in Neo-Data Services. The people of Kilmallock are anxious to renew their town and the development of the sewerage scheme will be crucial in this regard.

In December 2003, Environmental Resources Management Limited presented a report commissioned by the Kilmallock town traders, which outlined 37 recommendations for improvement in the town. Many of them are dependent on the construction of the sewerage scheme. The population in Kilmallock has declined from 1,311 in 1991 to 1,231 in 1996. With proper support and a sewerage scheme, the population, as predicted by Limerick County Council's development plans, could grow to 2,080 by 2021, which represents an increase of 849 people. This is not a minimum or maximum population, but a realistic guide to providing a framework for the provision of housing land and ancillary services in the town for the foreseeable future.

The report by Environmental Resources Management Limited stated that having consulted the townspeople, traders and organisations, a practical vision of the town for the next decade has been developed. That vision includes Kilmallock as an attractive place in which to live with an additional population of 1,000 people. It will be a town with a full range of trading retail availability and full services.

The proposals currently before the Department to develop the town's sewerage scheme will provide for a population equivalent of 4,000 with a possibility for future development. I urge the Minister to address the serious concerns of the townspeople and traders of Kilmallock to ensure the town has an opportunity to expand.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Neville for raising this matter. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, who apologises for being unable to attend the debate.

The provision of modern environmental infrastructure to support social and economic objectives has been a major focus of Government spending in recent years. The Minister is glad to confirm that Kilmallock is set to gain a new sewerage scheme as part of the drive to upgrade our national infrastructure.

The unprecedented investment in new water and sewerage facilities under the national development plan has made a key contribution to the economic growth that has benefited every part of Ireland. Limerick is no exception, with an allocation of nearly €143 million for new schemes under the latest phase of the Minister's water services investment programme.

Last year, we saw the opening of the multi-million euro Limerick main drainage scheme, a project that has copper-fastened Limerick's ability to attract inward investment, create jobs and function as the major commercial centre in the mid-west. Sewerage schemes for Castleconnell and Croagh have also recently reached completion. There are still many more schemes to follow.

The water services investment programme includes funding for more than 20 other locations throughout County Limerick where planning of new infrastructure is moving ahead rapidly. Towns and villages such as Adare, Patrickswell, Athea, Askeaton, Foynes, Shanagolden and Glin can look forward to new sewerage schemes.

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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In 20 years.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Many areas will benefit from improved water supplies from the major upgrade planned for the Clareville water treatment plant, improvements to the Shannon estuary water supply scheme and extensions of the Limerick county trunk water mains.

Funding has also been set aside in the water services investment programme for the Kilmallock sewerage scheme. Costing more than €9 million, it has been assigned construction status in the programme and can go to tender immediately once the necessary preliminaries have been completed. It is a substantial infrastructural project that will upgrade and extend the existing sewerage treatment plant and sewage collection network. It will play a major role in allowing Kilmallock to develop while preserving all important environmental standards.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government approved Limerick County Council's brief for the appointment of consultants to draw up the detailed design and contract documents for the scheme last July. I understand that in the meantime the council has interviewed potential consultants and is about to enter fee negotiations with the selected candidate. How long the contract documents take to produce will be a matter for agreement between the council and the consultants. The tender advertisement and award of contract will follow after that.

I am conscious of the strong case for getting this scheme started quickly. As far as the Minister and his Department are concerned, I am assured that everything possible will be done to avoid unnecessary delays. No doubt Limerick County Council will do the same. A key point is that the necessary funding has been allocated for the scheme in the water services investment programme and the money is available for draw-down by the council as soon as work can start on the ground. The important thing is for the council to push on quickly with the production of contract documents so that tenders for the construction of the scheme can be invited within the shortest possible timescale.