Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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54. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the progress being made on the Dublin, Garryhinch, Shannon water supply project; and the timeframe for planning, construction and completion phases of this project. [34089/13]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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The Dublin water supply scheme long-term water source is listed as a scheme at planning stage in my Department’s water services investment programme 2010 to 2013. Dublin City Council is the lead authority for this scheme, on behalf of all of the water services authorities in the greater Dublin area.

Studies carried out for the city council and a strategic environmental assessment have identified a preferred option which involves abstraction of raw water from Lough Derg and pumping the abstracted water through a new pipeline to a proposed storage reservoir at Garryhinch cut-away bog in County Offaly, forming part of a proposed midlands water-based eco-park. After treatment, water would then be conveyed to the west of Dublin where the new supply would be integrated with the existing storage and trunk distribution system.

In December 2012, the Department approved a brief for the engagement of consultants for the planning and statutory approval phase of the scheme. Dublin City Council has carried out a procurement process and I understand it will shortly be in a position to appoint a consultant to advance the further planning of this scheme.

The programme for project implementation has been developed based on the planning and statutory approval phase taking approximately two years. The detailed design and procurement phase should take a further two years, while the construction and commissioning phase should be completed in three years

Following their appointment by Dublin City Council, the consultants will undertake the environmental impact statement and other statutory requirements in preparation for a submission to An Bord Pleanála which will adjudicate on the matter.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for the reply. This is a huge project with major implications for the midlands and in particular for Laois and Offaly in terms of long-term jobs and jobs in construction, and it is clearly the Government's preferred option. However, the reply the Minister of State just gave does not outline when a planning application will be made, when it will start construction or when we are likely to have completion. Is Dublin City Council, as the lead authority, pushing it? A 12-month monitoring stage to collect data is required before it can start at all. Finance needs to be accessed and legislation is required, as the Minister of State will know, to establish Irish Water. I understand that legislation has implications for this project.

Where is it at and where is it going? I understand very little has happened on the project in the past two years. It needs to go through various phases, including the planning phase.

The Minister of State has just outlined that if this started tomorrow morning it would be seven full years before it would be brought on stream, that is, 2021. I assume that it will not start for some time yet since Dublin City Council is only now in the process of working out how to hire consultants for some of the studies and the planning phase. We need something firmer in terms of a start-up date.

We have been told that Dublin and parts of the east coast are running out of water. I realise this is partly due to leaks but this is what we are being told by the Minister of State and experts in the Department. It appears to me this project is on a go-slow. If the Minister of State is serious about going ahead with it, then it needs to be pushed on. My concern is that with all the toing and froing associated with the establishment of Irish Water this project has been left to one side.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Deputy, the Minister of State needs some time to respond.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Regardless of whether one is for or against it we need to know when the construction phase will start as well as the estimated completion date.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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With respect, it has to be done properly and well. Although it may take up to seven years it does not mean each process is not fully thought out and planned. All of the issues that might arise must be dealt with. The project requirements for implementation by 2020 include the planning phase and the preparation of the environmental impact assessment; the preparation and submission of the planning application to an Bord Pleanála; the processing of the planning application by An Bord Pleanála; compliance with EU procurement directives; the assessment of procurement options; the drawing up of contract documents; the procurement and assessment of tenders; the appointment of service providers, contracts and operators, since the construction phase will involve multiple contracts operating in parallel in green-field site conditions; and commissioning.

Dublin City Council is running the project. It is not that the Department has been doing it up to now. The council is procuring a consultant to progress the planning phase. It is envisaged that Irish Water will be responsible for the delivery of capital projects from 1 January next year. Responsibility for the delivery of the project will therefore transfer to Irish Water in 2014. Bord na Móna has a key critical role in the successful delivery of the project. The recommended location is a Bord na Móna cutaway bog at Garryhinch. The proposed route of the raw untreated water pipelines traverses the heartland of Bord na Móna's activities and the communities in which it operates.

We cannot afford to rush this but some things can be done in parallel. In other words, when Irish Water takes ownership of the project it may be able to find synergies in terms of times within the seven-year period. The fact is that this must be done right and properly. Clearly, significant planning issue are involved. I am confident that it will progress. There has been no delay on the part of the Minister or the Department in this matter.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister of State has said that Dublin City Council is the lead authority. I am aware of that but the point is that the project seems to have been put in the go-slow lane for the past two years. It appears from the reply of the Minister of State that when Irish Water takes over in 2014 it may move on at that stage. To me, the fact that Dublin City Council is only now setting about procuring consultants to examine the planning phase tells me that nothing is moving fast under this project. It needs to be moved on if we are to go ahead with it.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Dublin City Council is aware that there is only a 1% difference between supply and demand. Therefore, if anything significant occurs the supply could be in crisis. Normally, a city has a 15% surplus because of other outages or problems that might arise. I refute utterly that Dublin City Council is dragging its heals. If Deputy Stanley has questions then he ought to ask Dublin City Council to come before the relevant Oireachtas committee and he can carry out due diligence and question the council. That is the proper place to bring the council at this time. I believe the council is doing its best and there is no unnecessary delay in this matter.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I understand Deputy Joan Collins is taking Question No. 55 with the agreement of the Ceann Comhairle.