Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The Department's water services investment programme 2005-07, published last December, includes 18 major water and sewerage schemes for North Tipperary, with a value of over €90 million. The Thurles, Roscrea and Newport areas will all benefit from new or upgraded water supply schemes, as will towns and villages in the north west of the county that will be served by the new north-west regional water supply scheme. In addition, Thurles, Ballina, Nenagh, Newport, Roscrea, Borrisleigh, Cloughjordan, Dromineer, Rearcross and Silvermines can all look forward to new sewerage systems. The €5.8 million Templemore sewerage scheme is also part of the Department's water services investment programme.

There are two elements to the Templemore scheme. The Department approved Templemore Town Council's tender recommendation for the upgrading of the old sewage collection network in 2004, including separation of the foul and storm water sewers in the town. This allowed the council to deal with the lack of capacity in the network and to resolve the problems caused by both the foul and storm water feeding into and overloading the existing treatment plant. I understand that these works are now complete.

The second component of the scheme is the upgrading of the treatment plant and again I can report positive progress. Last February, the Department approved North Tipperary County Council's contract documents for the plant upgrade, which cleared the way for the invitation of tenders from a panel of short-listed contractors. The closing date for tenders was in September and the council is now examining the bids received with a view to selecting the most economically advantageous tender. The design, construction and subsequent operation of the upgraded plant were all included in the tender process and this will speed up completion of the project once the contract has been awarded. The Department is currently awaiting the results of the council's examination of the tenders for the treatment plant. Funding for the project has been allocated in the investment programme and it can be drawn down from the Department as soon as it is needed by the council.

I have listened carefully to what the Senator has said, and while the next move is up to North Tipperary County Council, we can anticipate the early appointment of a contractor to build the treatment plant and a quick start to the upgrading works. This is very much in the remit of the county council. If the closing date for the tenders was in September, the council must be nearly ready to roll at this stage. I hope the Senator can use his influence with councillors at local level to speed up the decision on the tenders. The ball seems to be in their court at this stage.