Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

On behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, I thank the two Senators for raising this issue. Unfortunately, the Minister is unable to be in the House this evening.

The provision of modem environmental services to support social and economic objectives has been a major focus of Government spending over the past number of years. There has been unprecedented investment under the national development plan in new water and sewerage infrastructure throughout the country.

The Pallaskenry-Kildimo water supply scheme, which involves an extension of the Shannon Estuary water supply scheme to serve these areas, is one of more than 800 projects being funded under the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's water services investment programme 2004-06. The Pallaskenry-Kildimo scheme has been approved for construction under the investment programme and I understand that an advance section has already been completed in conjunction with road works on the N69 roadway. I also understand that ministerial approval was given to Limerick County Council's contract documents for the remainder of the scheme last November. This approval authorised the council to invite tenders for the construction of the remainder of the works and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is now awaiting a recommendation from the council for the appointment of the contractor with the best tender. When that recommendation comes into the Department it will be quickly examined and, following approval, the council will then be in a position to place the contract. Funding of €1.4 million has been set aside for the scheme in the water services investment programme 2004-06 and the Minister is keen for it to get to construction as soon as possible. In the meantime, however, the initiative rests with the local authority. I have no doubt the two Members who raised the matter will be in a position to exert some pressure in that quarter.

As the Senators are aware, the current water supply source for the bulk of the area to be served by the new scheme is Bleach Lough. There have been local objections to the replacement of Bleach Lough by the Shannon Estuary scheme extension which will instead use water from the River Deel. To ensure that any objections were properly taken into account, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government sought clarification from Limerick County Council. Following a public consultation process, the council reported back to the Department in November 2002. It stated:

. . . 8.6% of the people who attended the public consultation and completed the questionnaires were against changing their water supply source, 34.6% had general or no comments and almost 57% required the new water supply source. In total, over 91% of people either had no comment or were in favour of being provided with a new water source because of difficulties experienced with the reliability of water quality, pressure, etc. of their existing supply. In light of the outcome of the consultation process, the pressing need for additional water capacity to facilitate development in the area and the position of a number of group water schemes that were suffering from serious water quality problems and requiring a new source, it was resolved that the extension of the Shannon Estuary scheme to Pallaskenry and Kildimo should go ahead as planned. As already indicated, the council's tender recommendation for the extension is now awaited by the Department for approval.

I listened carefully to what the Senators said and I will bring their comments to the attention of the Minister as soon as possible.