Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I refer to the need for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to clarify the progress on the seven village sewerage scheme application submitted by Waterford County Council and the reasons the foreshore licences that are required have not yet been approved. There is a great deal of frustration and confusion surrounding this village sewerage scheme in County Waterford on which seven towns and villages are depending for their development and future expansion. The submission was made to the Department by Waterford County Council in 2003. Foreshore licences are required for some of the villages involved. The Department encouraged Waterford County Council to include all seven villages in the one application. While this might have been seen as more efficient at the outset, it has halted progress in some of the towns that did not require a foreshore licence and this is the nub of the issue.

I do not know and I would like clarification as to which Department is responsible for issuing foreshore licences. The application was made almost three years ago for the licences to allow the sewerage schemes to proceed. Is intolerably long. We are always talking about protecting the environment and installing the necessary infrastructure to allow our towns and villages to grow. Here are seven villages in a county stymied by excessive bureaucracy, delays and foot-dragging within the Departments. I ask that this should not be repeated in any other local authority areas or towns around the country. It causes enormous frustration for the local authority, councillors and, most importantly, communities hampered by the lack of development.

For the record, the seven villages involved are Cappoquin, Stradbally, Ardmore, Ballyduff-Kilmeaden, Dunmore East, Tallow and Kilmacthomas. Tallow and Kilmacthomas have been approved to go to tender for their schemes to be installed, as has Ballyduff-Kilmeaden, I am informed. Unfortunately, they now await Cappoquin, Stradbally and Ardmore which await their foreshore licences. I hope we get clarification today as to the timeframe in which we can expect the licences to be issued to allow these schemes to progress. I hope the Minister of State will take my views on board as well as those of the local authority that to group schemes together in this manner is not necessarily a good idea because it has delayed unnecessarily some of the towns that were ready to proceed. I thank the Minister of State for attending and look forward to his response.