Seanad debates

Wednesday, 25 October 2006

7:00 pm

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

I thank the Senator for raising this issue again. The Department's water services investment programme 2005-2007, published last December, includes funding for more than 20 water and sewerage schemes throughout Limerick. Rather than leaving Limerick behind, we are looking after it well. Towns and villages such as Adare, Patrickswell, Askeaton, Foynes, Glin, Shanagolden, Kilmallock, Dromcollogher, Hospital, Pallasgreen and Bruff can all look forward to new or upgraded sewerage schemes. Many areas will also benefit from improved water supplies from the major upgrade of the Clareville water treatment plant, improvements to the Shannon Estuary water supply scheme and extensions of the Limerick county trunk water mains. In total, almost €158 million has been allocated under the programme for water and sewerage schemes in Limerick. It is clear from all of this that a very large number of towns and villages in Limerick are directly benefiting from the drive to bring our water and sewerage infrastructure up to a modern standard.

I am pleased to confirm that the Athea sewerage scheme is also included in the investment programme. It is being advanced as part of a grouped project, which includes the Askeaton, Foynes, Glin and Shanagolden sewerage schemes and which is scheduled to commence construction in 2007. The Department is awaiting submission of Limerick County Council's preliminary reports for the project. These reports will set out details of the proposed scope and costs of the schemes and of the council's proposals for advancing them. Approval of the preliminary reports will allow the council to draw up contract documents on which bids for the construction of the schemes can be invited.

I assure the Senator that I am as keen as him for the scheme to get under way, that funding has been allocated for it and that the Department will deal with the preliminary report as urgently as possible as soon as it is received from Limerick County Council. Perhaps the Senator might have a word with council officials so that they might expedite the report to my Department. I assure him that we will deal with it expeditiously as soon as we receive it.

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