Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for the opportunity to clarify these issues. Providing modern environmental infrastructure to support social and economic objectives has been a major focus of Government spending over recent years. My Department has made unprecedented investment under the national development plan on water and sewerage schemes and this has contributed significantly to the economic growth in every part of the country.

Last May, my Department published the latest phase of the water services investment programme, covering the years 2004 to 2006. The total allocated to County Longford under this latest phase comes to over €53 million, extending to some 14 individual schemes. Of that sum, €18 million is earmarked specifically for major water supply improvements, while €4.2 million is allocated for water conservation work. The schemes selected for approval in the programme took full cognisance of the priorities identified by Longford County Council in its most recent assessment of new water services infrastructure requirements in the county.

My Department is very conscious of the need to advance the Longford central regional water supply scheme as quickly as possible. The council has informed us that there have been supply disruptions due to a combination of increased demand, inadequate storage and water loss from the supply network. All of these concerns are being urgently addressed as part of the Longford central regional water supply scheme and the countywide water conservation project.

There are two elements in the Longford central regional water supply scheme. The first phase, estimated to cost €7.1 million, will provide a new storage reservoir and 15 km of rising mains. Phase I has been approved to go to construction as soon as possible under my Department's water services investment programme. The necessary Exchequer funds have been allocated and are available for draw-down by the council as soon as they are needed. Some advance works have already been done with my Department's approval, for example, the construction of an access road to the reservoir at Knockahaw and some sections of mains and pipes.

Officials in my Department are examining the design review report for the main share of the works and will deal with it as quickly as possible. When this is approved the council will be free to draw up contract documents that will be used to invite tenders for the scheme. In the interim, the council is proceeding with site investigation and other preparatory work. The water for the Longford central regional scheme is treated at plants at Lough Currygraney and Lough Forbes.

The second phase of the scheme will focus mainly on upgrading the treatment facilities from the quality and capacity points of view. The council is also pushing ahead with this phase and will conduct interviews for consultants in the coming week to get the planning process under way as soon as possible. My Department will also facilitate the advancement of this phase of the scheme to construction as quickly as the council can process it through the various steps in the planning process.

There is little point in producing extra water supply capacity if it is then lost through leakage or other deficiencies in the distribution system. Water conservation is the key to meeting communities' needs in a sustainable way. Longford County Council has already completed several of the measures required to create a fully-developed water conservation strategy, included the mapping of services, district metering, demand allocation and structural assessment of pipe networks. A total of €4.2 million has been allocated to the council for the next stage of the process and my Department awaits the council's proposals to build on the measures already in place, for example, by implementing active leakage control across the entire supply network and prioritising the replacement of obsolete pipelines. In the meantime, my Department has approved the council's proposals to rehabilitate old water mains in Longford town and in Granard, while roadworks were under way.

My Department awaits contract documents from the council for stage 1 of the Lanesboro water supply scheme. When the contract documents have been cleared, work on this scheme will also be able to start. With regard to the Ballymahon and Granard regional water supply schemes, also approved in the water services investment programme, the council is preparing briefs for the appointment of consultants to get the planning of these projects under way.

Many new water schemes are moving ahead in Longford that will comprehensively address the matters the Senator has outlined, as well as generally improving the quality and coverage of water supply around the county. I have listened carefully to what the Senator said and I and my officials are fully committed to getting these schemes under way as quickly as possible. I have already verified that the necessary finances have been set aside in my Department's water services investment programme. My Department would very much welcome any proposals the council might put forward to accelerate the implementation of any of the approved schemes.