Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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The greater Dublin drainage project is being directed by Fingal County Council to plan and build a new massive regional sewerage plant in north Dublin that will treat a population equivalent to 350,000 in 2020, moving up to perhaps 700,000 or more up to 2040.

Under phase 2 of the project, rural Clonshaugh, on the city boundary in Dublin north east, has been selected as one of three emerging preferred site options for this massive new sewerage plant, along with Annsbrook and Newtown Corduff near Lusk. I understand that all three project options will be considered further in detail before one emerging preferred option is decided on and a planning application is made to An Bord Pleanála.

The inclusion of Clonshaugh as one of three emerging preferred sites has rightly been described as cynical and outrageous by residents right across my constituency, including Clonshaugh, Newbury, Riverside, Carragh Park, Priorswood, Darndale, Belcamp, Belmaine, Clare Hall, Airfield, Donaghmeade, Clongriffen, the coast, Baldoyle itself and Portmarnock. It would go against all natural justice to locate this waste water treatment plant one field north of the Fingal-Dublin border rather than in the heart of Fingal county, which is the region which the plant will service.

In my submissions to phases 1 and 2 of the consultation programme on this sewage plant I argued strongly that it would be unjustifiable to select the Clonshaugh site, in particular because of the size of the proposed plant and its certain negative affects on the huge adjacent population. Disturbingly, no socioeconomic impact survey was undertaken by Jacobs Tobin of the negative impacts on the almost 25,000-30,000 people who will be living directly adjacent to or only metres away from this monstrous sewage plant, if located in Clonshaugh. There also appears to have been no comparative analysis and appropriate weighting given to the population densities at each of the original nine sites. Clearly, the high population density around Clonshaugh will be particularly negatively affected if the plant is to go ahead at that location.

Given the range of planning challenges still facing the north fringe of Dublin, of which I know the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, is well aware, including Priory Hall and the pyrite disaster, it would be catastrophic to locate this major new sewage and waste water plant in the north fringe region, which is where Clonshaugh is located. Such a decision would wreck the two local authority plans for the region, which are currently being prepared by Dublin City Council. In addition to its unique planning difficulties, the north fringe is also characterised by its unique environment. The core coastal area and highly protected amenity coastal district, the proposed outfall for this plan, would be at Baldoyle-Portmarnock, which is a polder. The possible location, therefore, proposes a significant environmental threat to the velvet strand from Portmarnock to Baldoyle Bay and on to the Malahide Estuary. This area is a European conservation area and Natura 2000 site. Placing a sewage outfall there would be an incredible breach of EU environmental policy. The proposed site location is also in line with the lower flight path of the main runway of Dublin Airport - it is barely outside of the Airport's inner safety zone - and the clear danger of gas emissions to aviation aside, locating a massive sewage plant in the middle of a district which has already been designated as part of the lands of the critical airport economic zone would severely hamper the economic development of the region. In this regard, the Minister of State will be aware of the plans for a high-tech industrial hub in this region, which could potentially facilitate up to 10,000 jobs. I learned yesterday from the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, that exactly that number of people in the adjoining parishes are unemployed, a figure which is increasing daily. It would be contemptible to jeopardise these long-standing plans by locating a massive regional sewage plant at the location.

Local businesses such as the successful Bewley's Dublin Airport Hotel will be less than 500 metres from the Clonshaugh site. Mr. Kieran O'Donovan, manager of that hotel, has already spoken publicly of the great damage this project could do to its business. It would devastate a number of long-standing rural and new urban communities and recreational facilities from Clonshaugh-Belcamp eastwards to Portmarnock and destroy long-standing Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council plans for the region in terms of a diversion of the Malahide Road.

The feeling in my constituency is that this is being dumped on the edge of a vulnerable lower income residential district despite there being more appropriate locations, from a service and environmental point of view, in the heart of Fingal county.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I am taking this topical issue debate on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan. I thank Deputy Broughan for the opportunity to outline the position on this matter.

In March 2011, Fingal County Council appointed consultants to prepare a preliminary report and environmental impact assessment for the greater Dublin regional drainage project-north Dublin treatment plant and orbital sewer. The identification of potential locations for the regional waste water treatment plant is an important step in this process. In October 2011, as part of phase 1, alternative sites assessment and route selection report, Fingal County Council identified nine potential land parcels in the northern part of the greater Dublin area within which a proposed regional waste water treatment plant could potentially be located, along with a marine outfall and an orbital drainage system.

The council carried out an eight week non-statutory public consultation seeking views on the proposals and the land parcels. These nine land parcels were then assessed as potential locations in which to site the regional waste water treatment plant. The routes for the orbital drainage system and the marine outfall pipe locations were also assessed. Site specific information, more indepth desktop research, consultations and detailed site surveys, as well as feedback from the public were used to assist in identifying the locations with the least impact under 15 criteria. Of these nine land parcels, three sites have now been identified by the council as emerging preferred site options in the phase 2 alternative sites assessment and route selection report. A further eight week non-statutory public consultation period commenced on Monday, 14 May 2012, and runs until 6 July 2012. As part of this process, four open days are being arranged by the council where the public can meet with the project team to discuss the report. I note Deputy Broughan has made submissions in this regard.

When the preferred site is identified the council will prepare detailed plans and complete an environmental impact statement. This EIS, together with a planning application under the Planning and Development Strategic Infrastructure Act 2006, will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála, which will carry out its own statutory public consultation on the project. The Minister's main role in water services projects is to provide capital funding for the work through the Department's water services investment programme. He may in the future have a statutory role should there be a requirement for a foreshore licence for the project. Beyond the inclusion of the project in the investment programme for planning and funding of the planning stage, the Minister has not commented on these proposals as they developed as this might prejudice his statutory role and-or the role of An Bord Pleanála. It is a matter for Fingal County Council to advance the planning of the project.

I have noted the points made by Deputy Broughan.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I have a few further questions for the Minister of State in regard to this proposal. If she does not have the answers to hand, I would appreciate if she could send them to me.

In my view, the Jacobs Tobin report is defective, in terms of its costings of these sites. I met with the engineers in question, who had done no homework or cost benefit analysis of any kind of the sites, including the Lusk and Clonshaugh sites. I would like to know why they did not do so. Surely, that is the first basic requirement following engineering.

During my almost 20 years as a Member of this House I have on numerous occasions raised profound issues which affect the communities that will be only a few meters from this proposed plant. They have overcome many challenges over the past two decades. It is egregious that this service is to be located cheek by jowl with these communities. Would the Minister of State agree that the outfall constraints for the Clonshaugh sites are inappropriate given the Portmarnock-Baldoyle area is a European conversation area?

My colleague, Deputy Brendan Ryan, in previous discussions on this issue in the House put forward the valuable proposal that the locating of up to seven different sites across the county, with appropriate outfall, would be better than one large site so that the burden of the plant could be shared. In recent weeks, there has been a major odour problem at the Swords plant, on which it was not possible to take action for two weeks owing to the fact that the equipment required had to be brought in from the UK. Is this not another approach that could have been, and could still be, tried?

It is madness to locate this plant on the main flight path of Dublin Airport. Aeroplanes will be required to fly directly over it. That this site is being considered is, in my view, madness. There was a debate in the House last night on planning issues. I understand the Government is to introduce further planning legislation. All of those developers who made millions, whom we are now supporting through NAMA, made no provision whatsoever for water or sewage plants in major new urban communities. They took, or lost as the case may be, all the profits. It is important action is taken to ensure this does not happen again.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I note the Deputy's serious concerns on this issue and that he has made submissions on it. The specific issues of conservation and aviation will be taken into account. The Deputy will be aware that a consultation process is currently under way. There will be further consultation processes in the context of an environmental impact assessment. Obviously whatever site is chosen will require planning permission. A foreshore licence may also be required. Therefore, a series of statutory consultations is to come. I know the Deputy's concern at present is with regard to which of the sites will be chosen. With regard to the first issue the Deputy raised, which was on costs, I understand the overall cost of the treatment plant, the outfall and the orbital sewer is not expected to exceed €500 million. This is the estimated costing I have. This is a major decision to be made and I note the Deputy's concerns. I will convey them to the Minister, Deputy Hogan. As I stated, he has not commented because there are procedures and various stages in the process which have yet to come. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and for his serious concerns.