Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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My background is as a local councillor. I was first elected in 2004, having been co-opted in 2003. In my native county of Limerick, with the economy of that time, a number of sewerage schemes were bundled together, un-bundled and then re-bundled again. There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the Department and the council in respect of developing wastewater and sewage systems in our towns and villages. Much of this was driven by the drive for development at the time but there was also a need to upgrade these schemes. Now we are moving into an economic climate of seeking more housing and development. I welcome the initiatives that have been started by the Government. I welcome that the number of commencement notices and planning permissions in the private sector have increased. We need to do more because the demand for housing is extremely high at the moment. Coupled with this, we need to be looking at towns and villages in rural Ireland.

I refer particularly to strategic towns and villages within rural Ireland and in County Limerick that are on infrastructural routes. One town on which I have been working and that has been mentioned quite a bit is Askeaton, County Limerick, and another is Hospital, County Limerick. These towns are at capacity and cannot expand further without upgrade of the sewerage schemes. Putting the onus back on the private developers could put them off taking the risk to further develop housing. It is a chicken-and-egg situation. The Askeaton sewerage scheme was built some time in the 1940s and was to cater for 550 people. The 2011 census showed a population of about 1,150 there, which is double what it was. That has put huge strain on the existing sewerage system.

The local councillors have been writing to me about the problems that are arising in that town through Limerick City and County Council, which was my municipal area as a councillor. This issue has come with me since my time on the council. This also comes from constituents at particular times of the year, particularly after a heavy deluge of rainfall. Whether it is global warming or something else, we have seen more moisture and precipitation than usual over the last years, particularly during the fodder crisis this year. That is putting extra pressure on the sewerage scheme.

The Askeaton local area plan produced by Limerick City and County Council in 2015 states that the existing wastewater plant is overloaded and has been for some time. The system is currently failing to meet obligations under the EU directives such as, for example, the urban wastewater directive. Background levels of phosphorus in the Deel continue to exceed the limits of the surface water regulations. Preliminary studies for the council have identified the need for a new treatment plant and upgrade of the sewer network. Plans for the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant were included in Irish Water's capital investment programme for 2014 to 2016. Askeaton's competitiveness as a place to invest, locate business and sustain a good quality of life for a growing population is dependent on high-quality infrastructure including wastewater disposal. The council states that it will work with Irish Water to improve the primary discharge into the River Deel. It stated that all future development would require separate foul and surface connections to the appropriate collection network in compliance with the Department.

I ask the Minister of State to prioritise Askeaton in respect of wastewater treatment work. I have some other clarification issues to raise, particularly around the prioritisation of this work now that we have moved on to Irish Water.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the upgrading of rural town and village schemes to further housing development. The Deputy highlighted the importance of doing this, particularly in Askeaton in his own native county of Limerick. This is something on which we must focus on if we are going to achieve our housing targets and get construction going again in the parts of the country where it is needed. Under Project Ireland 2040 and looking ahead, we have to invest money in water and wastewater infrastructure if we are to achieve our regional targets and get the regional balance we want in housing development, as well as jobs and so on. It is important that Limerick would be a major part of that space as well.

Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. Irish Water as a single national utility is taking a strategic nationwide approach to asset planning and investment and meeting customer requirements. Investment in water services is a key factor in enabling proper planning and sustainable development in physical and economic terms and in national, regional and local contexts. Towns like Askeaton are a major part of that. Irish Water is proposing to invest in a range of programmes that will support growth at national, regional and local levels. Irish Water will also play a key role in implementing Project Ireland 2040, which incorporates the national planning framework and the national development plan.

Irish Water's water services strategic plan, WSSP, sets out the strategic objectives for its delivery of water services over 25 years up to 2040 to ensure the provision of clean safe drinking water, the effective management of wastewater, environmental protection and support for social and economic development. The Irish Water business plan, "Transforming Water Services In Ireland to 2021", sets out its short to medium-term planning in implementing the first phase of the water services strategic plan. While the Irish Water business plan sets out the planned level of operational and capital expenditure over this period, the actual allowed operational expenditure and capital investment is decided on by the economic regulator, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU. To this end, Irish Water submits a water charges plan based on the WSSP and a business plan for given regulatory periods to the CRU. Irish Water also developed an investment plan based on a five-year investment planning horizon from 2017 to 2021, which aligns to the WSSP and the seven-year business plan 2014-2021.

Irish Water must optimise investment decisions to ensure that it utilises scarce capital by making investments that deliver the best possible service improvements while maximising value for money and should undertake this in conjunction with the local authority in each area. In the case of Limerick, the link-up with Irish Water would be very important for key sites and areas of towns and villages that have to be developed. A substantial proportion of investment by the State through Irish Water over the next ten years will be focused on programmes to improve compliance with relevant public health and environmental standards. This will involve implementation of the measures contained within the river basin management plan for Ireland 2018 to 2021 and the achievement of the outcomes identified. Through Irish Water’s capital investment plan, it is implementing the capital investment programme, which prioritises investment decisions to ensure it utilises available funding most effectively by making investments that deliver the biggest benefit while maximising value for money.

One of Irish Water’s key goals is that the same standard of service for water and wastewater will apply no matter where someone lives in the country. Achieving this objective will take time in accordance with the varying condition of the assets. Certainly, in the case of Askeaton, where a system was put in place for 550 people and where there is now double the population, it is certainly an area that needs to be addressed. I will raise the specifics of the two towns the Deputy has mentioned directly with Irish Water to get a more detailed response for him.

Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State and wish to share some more information with him. Irish Water stated to me in June 2017 that it completed a concept design study recommending a preferred solution for Askeaton sewerage scheme. The project had just received approval to proceed to the next stage, detailed design and planning, which was to be undertaken over the following 12 to 18 months. Could the Minister of State get some timelines from Irish Water in that regard? Is it going to make a decision within the 18 months? Is the design and planning phase going to be completed within 18 months? The language is quite ambiguous. Do we have to wait until the design phase is over before we can hunt for budget for this project?

We have been told it is not part of the 2017-2021 priority list which I believe it should be, given the criteria outlined by what I have read from the local area plan from Limerick County Council before Irish Water took over in 2014. Askeaton will be a spur off the main Limerick to Foynes motorway which will be built and which will include the Adare bypass. This is a strategic town which sits along the Shannon estuary and where several multinational industries are located. Several days ago, the expansion of Foynes Port was announced. It is an EU tier one port which can take the larger container ships being built and can compete with many ports across the world. The motorway is being developed there and Askeaton sits just off that. One is looking at developing these towns which will facilitate the major natural resources of Foynes Port. There is synergy developing in Askeaton. We need to get the town’s water and sewerage schemes along with this.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Neville for the information he has provided on the importance of Askeaton and other areas in County Limerick. It is important when Irish Water is rolling out its investments, it does so in collaboration with local Oireachtas Members and councillors. It has to take cognisance of the national planning framework, the national development plan, the forthcoming regional and spatial economic strategies, as well as the ongoing reviews of the county and local area development plans. When we are trying to roll out long-term plans for housing, we try to match the services needed, such as health and education services, in a planned way.

There is much ambition for Limerick county and city to develop and take its fair share as a region. We want to rebalance development from the east coast. It is important Irish Water bears that in mind when deciding its investment strategies. The updated Limerick county and city plan will fit into that, along with the regional strategy. It is important local Oireachtas Members are consulted. I will ask the Irish Water team to deal with the Deputy specifically on this case. Neither I nor the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, actually picked the different places for investment. However, it is important Irish Water does that in collaboration with Deputies who know what is going on in the areas and matches up the plans. We meet people every day who want to provide public or private housing. We need to make sure the infrastructure is in place to make that happen. If we do not, we cannot reach our targets in Rebuilding Ireland or Ireland 2040. The Deputy made submissions to Ireland 2040. There is much ambition for both Limerick city and county in those plans. We can only achieve those plans if we provide water and wastewater infrastructure, along with other required services. I will make sure the Irish Water team gets in contact with the Deputy on timelines and future plans on this issue.