Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

I have raised this matter because Dromcollogher is an expanding community and I am aware of the housing implications of potential developments and an existing housing development there. Public-private partnerships are filling a vacuum regarding sewerage facilities. If a developer moves into a small village and decides to expand the scheme to embrace the village community a certain proportion of his or her costs are paid. It may not be suitable in all cases and a larger community, such as Dromcollogher, requires a dedicated sewerage scheme.

In 1998, Limerick County Council requested permission to employ consultants for a preliminary report. The Department did not approve it at the time as Dromcollogher was number 16 on its priority listing. The scheme was not eligible for the 2000-02 programme or the subsequent programme. I am aware it was scheduled for the 2004-06 period but, to date, I am unsure of what progress has been made as it was bundled with other sewerage developments. I hope the Minister of State can indicate the status of the project, suggest when it will go through the required programme and indicate the likely target date for commencement, thereby allowing us to calculate a timeframe for conclusion.

This will give some degree of optimism to the community as I recognise many other sewerage schemes, perhaps 22, are awaiting approval and are caught in the logjam of the current programme. No tangible construction phase has taken place and the sharing of information between the council and the Department must be examined.

Speaking on radio, a Fianna Fáil councillor was critical of the impediment sewerage schemes present to the development of housing. I agree with him but he placed much blame on the local authority and I am not sure this is correct. Progress is difficult considering the lengthy sequence of events that must be followed from the initial stages of a project to the commencement of work. I hope the Minister of State will give some indication when progress will be made on the sewerage scheme in Dromcollogher.