Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for selecting this matter which is of importance to the people of Kildare town as well as many residents in the mid-Kildare area. Having listened to Deputy Mitchell, I was struck by the correlation that exists between this matter and the planning issue she raised. Together with Monasterevin, Kildare town was identified as a secondary growth centre in the last regional planning guidelines. The reality for local residents, however, was that we had no growth at all. Thankfully, we have no derelict sites or boarded-up houses.

We got no new houses during the Celtic tiger period, however, because our sewerage system was inadequate. It took considerable effort by politicians, including myself, and the local community to convince the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government that such a sewage treatment system should be provided. It was provided, however, and something in the order of €18 million was spent on a sewage treatment plant. We now have a state-of-the-art plant but we need a network of pipes to deliver the effluent to the treatment plant. Effectively, one will not work without the other.

The treatment plant has been built and the network was at tender stage prior to the establishment of Irish Water. In fact, I believe a tender had been accepted and approved and that a preferred contractor had been identified. Therefore, I read with great interest this week about Irish Water's proposed capital investment plan. I went through it and found the Kildare sewerage scheme network with the comment "Continued planning and business case review".

The project is essential for the development of this area, which young people in need of housing are forced to leave because this network of pipes has not been put in place.

Much controversy surrounded the establishment of Irish Water. It is seen as a super quango, has cost an inordinate amount to establish and has spent an inordinate amount of public money on consultancies. In the first test of how it will perform we find that it will spend no more than the Department and local authorities were spending on capital projects in recent years. One of the most significant capital projects in the pipeline, for which a tender was approved, must go back for further planning and a case review.

I ask the Minister to intervene and have common sense prevail. Having spent €18 million of public money on a treatment plan, it makes no sense to abandon the commitment to provide the pipes to get the effluent to the plant in order that it can work.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan. The Department has no responsibility for, or role in, the delivery of water services infrastructure or in the management, maintenance or operation of that infrastructure. This is a matter in the first instance for Irish Water, the water services authority which is responsible under statute, for the provision, operation, maintenance and management of water infrastructure, under the general supervision of the Environmental Protection Agency. Local authorities continue to provide some elements of waste water services on behalf of Irish Water through service level agreements that have been put in place between Irish Water and the local authorities.

From 1 January 2014 Irish Water has responsibility for the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. On Tuesday last, 13 May, Irish Water published its proposed capital investment plan for 2014 to 2016, outlining the indicative investment priorities in water and waste water services infrastructure over the next three years. The capital investment plan consists of a targeted programme of more than 386 individual projects, as well as a range of sub-programmes, for delivery over the next three years. On publication of the plan, Irish Water indicated that its priorities for delivery under the plan include elimination of boil water notices in Roscommon; providing more water and, in particular, reducing disruption to supply in the Dublin area; improving water quality; investing for economic development; tackling leakage; increasing waste water treatment capacity and improving environmental compliance; improving existing plants; and better control and monitoring of infrastructure and service provision.

Irish Water has confirmed that the Kildare Town waste water network is one of the projects listed in the capital investment plan and that it plans to proceed with its construction. It has indicated that the project will be advanced subject to full planning - the Deputy might clarify whether or not that has been achieved - and environmental assessment of the project, having regard to all regulatory requirements and specific legal obligations. The capital investment plan is available to download from the Irish Water website, www.water.ie. The Deputy is probably aware that there is an Oireachtas Members' e-mail address, oireachtasmembers@water.ie, and a dedicated telephone number.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I am grateful to the Minister of State, although she has come here to do the Pontius Pilate for the Minister, Deputy Hogan.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I gave the information the Minister provided.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I can read as well as she. We have already read that the project will be subject to further planning and a business case review. All the planning was done before the €18 million was spent on the treatment plan, before tenders were invited for the network and before the Department accepted the tender of the preferred contractor. Irish Water appears to want to re-evaluate the whole process. Clearly it is merely a time-wasting exercise and a means of avoiding spending in an area where there has been no significant development in recent times. Were this area akin to the areas to which Deputy Olivia Mitchell referred, where there was outrageous development of 400 to 500 houses in small villages that could not be sustained, it would be one thing. However this is in a town with a population over 8,000 where local people are being forced to go elsewhere to access housing, which we cannot build because we do not have the basic, essential services to which we are entitled and which the Department had approved before this super quango, Irish Water, came into existence.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I will convey the Deputy's strong views to the Minister, Deputy Hogan. I also suggest the Deputy directly contact Irish Water regarding this particular proposal. I am not clear on whether it has full planning permission and the environmental impact assessment and has satisfied all the legal obligations. If it has, there seems to be no reason why it cannot proceed.