Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the issue of Government's failure to address the severe infrastructural projects in west County Limerick. The failure to fund new sewerage schemes is starving our towns and villages of the resources they need to expand their populations and create new jobs. West County Limerick has experienced a serious drain from the land and the farming community there has decreased considerably in recent decades. The number of people whose income is derived solely from farming has also suffered a significant drop.

Planning restrictions have deprived people of the opportunity to build houses in rural areas. To be eligible for planning permission in 80% of rural areas of County Limerick, applicants must be from the area and cannot already own houses. The general response of the local authority to one-off rural housing is to refuse rather than grant permission. The planners will say that towns and villages should be developed rather than allowing a pattern of one-off housing but, because of the lack of proper sewerage facilities, housing and business developments cannot be facilitated. Towns and villages in Limerick West which are starved of development owing to the failure to provide adequate sewerage include Askeaton, Shanagolden, Foynes, Athea, Pallaskenry, Dromcollogher, Adare, Patrickswell, Bruff and Kilmallock.

The 50-year-old sewerage system in Kilmallock is seriously hampering any development and is 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 proposals 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. The former Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Cullen, promised a new sewerage scheme in 2004 and we are no nearer to having this developed.

Shanagolden is in an area of great population decline where the exit from farming or the transfer to part-time farming has been very pronounced. An injection of economic activity into the area is needed. The construction of a new sewerage scheme would ensure this. Several attractive proposals from developers to regenerate this village have been discussed with Limerick County Council but such development cannot take place until there is a new sewerage scheme.

I was informed by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government that the Limerick county trunk water mains scheme servicing Patrickswell and Adare has been approved for construction in his Department's water services investment programme 2004-2006. Submissions have been made to Limerick County Council on a sewerage scheme which would substantially increase the population of Patrickswell. This population boost cannot take place until the new sewerage scheme is in place.

On 26 January 2005, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, informed me in this House that the Patrickswell-Adare sewerage scheme would commence construction in 2005. It did not. On 9 March 2004, the former Minister in the Department, Deputy Cullen, informed me that the Adare sewerage scheme was approved for construction under his Department's water services investment programme 2003-2005. This Minister also failed to honour his commitment. In 2003, the Minister, Deputy Cullen, also informed me that Adare sewerage scheme would commence construction in 2003 and that the revised preliminary report was approved in July 2002, but we are still waiting.

A Bruff development plan is being completed and a town development plan is being drawn up. Key to the development of Bruff is an understanding of when the sewerage scheme will be introduced and developed. Serious flooding takes place in Dromcollogher, which is among the many problems that require a new sewerage development. Athea, which is in the western part of the area and nearest to the Kerry border, is an excellent community in a rural area with great potential for development and has always responded to developing its community but is hampered because of this.

Limerick County Council has made comprehensive submissions to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on this but the Department always returns with another question, issue, clarification, reduction or query on consultancy fees. Limerick County Council has been trying to progress this but every time it answers a question fully, it receives another query, development or a new approach on consultancy. The neglect of west Limerick must be addressed. The Minister should give us a chance to develop. The population is declining in most areas and the introduction of sewerage schemes is key.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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There has been unprecedented investment by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in the provision of modern water services infrastructure in recent years and this has made a key contribution to the economic growth that has benefited every part of the country. The Department's water services investment programme 2005-2007, published in December 2005, includes funding for more than 20 water and sewerage schemes throughout Limerick county and city. Under that programme, towns and villages such as Adare, Patrickswell, Athea, Askeaton, Foynes, Glin, Shanagolden, Kilmallock, Mungret, Dromcollogher, Hospital, Pallasgreen and Bruff can all look forward to new or upgraded sewerage schemes.

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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When?

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Many areas will also 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. Almost €158 million has been allocated under the programme for water and sewerage infrastructure in Limerick. I am as anxious as the Deputy to see these schemes get to construction and completion as quickly as possible and my Department is doing everything it can to ensure this happens. The Deputy will also appreciate that multi-million euro schemes funded by the taxpayer must go through detailed planning and development processes——

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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It has been 28 years for Adare.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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This is to ensure they meet their intended objectives, are designed and constructed in an economical manner and produce drinking water or treated waste water to a standard that meets national and EU requirements. Necessary procedures such as the acquisition of land or fulfilment of statutory planning requirements such as environmental impact assessments, EIAs, must be completed before tenders can be invited for the construction of any scheme.

The Department recently extended a greatly increased level of responsibility to local authorities to speed up the process of new water services infrastructure. For every project in the water services investment programme valued under €5 million, local authorities are, as soon as they receive preliminary approval, clear to proceed right through to construction without further reference to my Department. This gives local authorities unprecedented authority to advance individual schemes with a minimum of departmental involvement. I hope the result will be a significant speeding up of hundreds of individual schemes from drawing board to completion. It will also mean that my Department's expertise can be concentrated on advancing the larger and more costly projects.

My Department's funding on water and sewerage schemes is not limited to the schemes included in the water services investment programme. Funding is also provided for the rural water programme, which includes funding for both water and sewerage schemes. National spending on rural water has increased dramatically from around €15 million in 1997 to €133 million in 2006. Real progress where it matters, on the ground, is being achieved throughout the country on the back of this increased investment.

When I announced the block grant allocations for the rural water programme in February, Limerick County Council received an allocation of €11.65 million, of which €650,000 is towards small public water and sewerage schemes. The allocation of €11.65 million compares with a spend of €4.35 million by the council in 2005.

I have listened carefully to what the Deputy has said and I thank him for the opportunity to outline my Department's support for the provision and upgrading of water and sewerage infrastructure in Limerick. I will have to check his statements on previous commitments and letters he received. I do not know whether the delay was at county council or Department level.

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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It is on the record of the House.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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If incorrect submissions come in, they are sent back. Things must be in order. Perhaps we can find out why a project on an earlier programme is still on the next one and whether the delay was on the part of the Department or the county council. They are all included on the programme. The money is in place. The increased authority to proceed with the smaller schemes once initial approval has been given without answering 1,000 questions should speed up matters. The €158 million that has been allocated is significant and I hope there will be no further delays.