Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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I raise the Kilcummin and Waterville sewerage schemes together because the failure to proceed with both schemes is having a massive impact on amenities in my constituency. With regard to the Kilcummin scheme, for many years the local authority and local residents sought a sewage treatment plant for the area. In 2007 the Government sanctioned a scheme to bring sewage from Kilcummin to the treatment facility in Killarney. No progress has been made since.

The roads in the Kilcummin area are in a deplorable state. The local authority has taken a decision, with which I do not disagree, not to upgrade local roads until the sewerage scheme is completed. Residents of the area are suffering on two fronts because they do not have a sewage treatment facility and on the basis that the local authority has refused to upgrade local roads until a facility is developed. The proximity of Kilcummin to the Lakes of Killarney - the area is three miles north of Killarney - makes it vital that the construction of a sewage treatment facility proceeds. As the Minister of State will be aware, the Lakes of Killarney have suffered in recent years from algae bloom and unacceptably high levels of phosphates. This amenity will be lost if a sewage treatment facility is not put in place immediately.

A sewerage scheme for Waterville has been sanctioned and featured on list after list during the years but funding has been held up in the Department. As a seaside resort, it is unacceptable that raw sewage is being emitted into the sea at Waterville. Residents will no longer tolerate this. We have heard about all the great work done during the Celtic tiger but priorities were misplaced during the period. It is unacceptable that, despite approval being granted, work has not proceeded on sewerage schemes in an area close to the Lakes of Killarney and in a seaside resort.

I ask the Department to provide funding to enable Kerry County Council to carry out the required works immediately. I also request that the Minister include the sewerage schemes for Waterville and Kilcummin in the water services investment programme 2010-12 which is due to be announced this month. I plead with him to make available this vital funding.

I thank the office of the Ceann Comhairle for providing me with a timely opportunity to raise this matter.

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, I thank the Deputy for providing me with an opportunity to clarify the position on Kerry County Council's proposals for water and wastewater facilities for Waterville and wastewater facilities for Kilcummin.

The Waterville water and sewerage schemes are designed to upgrade the water treatment plant, provide a new wastewater treatment plant and the pipework for both the water and sewerage systems. The combined schemes were to be procured under two contracts, a pipeline contract and a single contract for the two treatment plants. The water mains and sewer networks contract is substantially completed. The two treatment plants are to be procured under a single design-build-operate, DBO, contract. Kerry County Council has submitted a tender recommendation for the DBO contract to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in which it is under examination. Agreement has not been reached between the Department and the council on the level of funding to be provided by both the council and the Department for the scheme. Discussions have taken place, however, and the council is to make a further submission to the Department. When agreement is reached on the level of funding to be provided by both parties, consideration will be given to allowing the council to proceed with the scheme.

The Kilcummin sewerage scheme is part of the Lough Leane catchment sewerage scheme which was included in the Department's water services investment programme 2007-09. Kerry County Council's revised proposals for the Kilcummin scheme are under examination in the Department and a decision will be conveyed to the council as soon as possible.

In common with all local authorities, Kerry County Council was asked to submit an assessment of needs for water and sewerage services in its area to the Department by 23 October 2009. The Department is finalising the consideration of these assessments which will form a key input to the development of the 2010-12 water services investment programme. In conducting their assessments local authorities were asked to prioritise schemes and contracts for progression in the coming years based on key environmental and economic criteria.

With the changed economic climate and completion of the first cycle of river basin management plans by local authorities in the near future, there is a greater need than ever to focus on strategic environmental and economic objectives. The 2010-12 programme will do this by prioritising projects that target public health and environmental compliance issues, support economic and employment growth and offer best value for money. The Minister expects to publish the 2010-12 water services investment programme shortly and his Department will work closely with Kerry County Council to advance priority schemes identified in the programme. I hope my reply satisfies the Deputy, whom I thank again for raising the matter.