Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I listened to Senator Bannon with great interest. I do not represent Deputy Cassidy or Senator O'Rourke on this matter but the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche. I assure the Senator that if this was a matter of signing a cheque next week, he would have the cheque.

The provision of modern water and sewerage infrastructure to support environmental, social and economic objectives continues to be a major focus of Government spending. There has been unprecedented investment by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government under the national development plan in water and sewerage schemes and this has made a key contribution to our economic growth.

The Department's water services investment programme for the period 2004-06 is made up of 869 schemes at different stages of development, with a total investment value of more than €5 billion. The programme includes over 20 projects in County Westmeath with a value of some €216 million. Any reasonable person would accept that is a very reasonable sum for that period for County Westmeath. Towns and villages such as Athlone, Mullingar, Moate, Rochfortbridge and Rathowen can all look forward to new or upgraded sewerage schemes. Many areas will also benefit from improved water supplies, for example, Athlone, Mullingar, south Westmeath and other locations around the county.

Many of Westmeath's towns and villages will benefit from the drive to bring our water and sewerage infrastructure up to a modern standard. Rathowen is very much part of that effort and the necessary funding for the scheme has been set aside in the Department's water services investment programme. Westmeath County Council originally intended to progress the sewerage schemes envisaged for Rathowen, Coole and Finea as one project. However, the council later indicated that it wished to pursue these schemes separately. That is what is now happening.

In the case of the Rathowen scheme, the Senator will be pleased to know that the Minister, Deputy Roche, approved Westmeath County Council's preliminary report last week, subject to some additional information being provided with regard to the proportion of the capital cost to be charged to the non-domestic sector in accordance with the polluter pays principle. The approval of the preliminary report clears the way for the council to draw up contract documents. How long these take will be a matter for discussion and agreement between the council and the engineering consultants it has appointed to design the scheme.

Once the contract documents have been completed and approved, the council will be able to invite tenders and commence the works. The scheme's estimated cost is €1.3 million. This will put in place modern sewerage collection and treatment facilities to meet current demand and to facilitate future development requirements in the village and surrounding area.

The Minister is conscious of the importance of this scheme to the Rathowen community and will encourage Westmeath County Council to progress the contract documents as quickly as possible. He has assured me that as far as his Department's involvement in the remaining stages of the project are concerned, the Senator can be assured that there will be absolutely no avoidable delays or obstacles in dealing with the scheme.

It is important to reiterate that the necessary funding for the scheme has been set aside in the water services investment programme and is available for draw down by the council as soon as the work begins on the ground. The Minister will do everything he can to bring that about as quickly as possible. The priority is for the council to move ahead rapidly with the preparation of the contract documents which will bring the project a critical step closer to commencement of construction.

The Senator should be aware that a preliminary report for the scheme was received from Westmeath County Council in February 2005. However, the water pricing report, which is required at the preliminary report stage under departmental procedures, was not received until August of this year. These reports were examined by the Department and, as I indicated, the preliminary report was acceptable. However, further information is required on the water pricing report.

The preliminary report was submitted to the Minister for approval on 21 November and was cleared by him on 25 November. Four days is not bad going. It is subject to the additional information being provided on the water pricing report. Approval of that preliminary report enables the council to speed ahead on the contract document.

I thank the Senator for his interest in County Westmeath. I hope it is an interest he will sustain in the months and years ahead. I note there is a great deal of interest being shown in counties Westmeath and Longford these days by a significant number of Deputies and Senators.