Ciarán Cannon (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State. Despite the current economic downturn, Loughrea is a burgeoning and vibrant town which needs to have its water supply upgraded in terms of extraction and treatment works and the network that supplies water to the surrounding hinterland. Many communities in the hinterland of the town are in dire need of a satisfactory, clean and reliable public water supply. One such community is Kilreekil situated on the N6. Interests in Kilreekil and Loughrea, as well as Galway County Council, have been campaigning since 2003 to have the treatment plant and network in Loughrea upgraded in order that the town can develop in the way it should and the community of Kilreekil and other communities in the hinterland of Loughrea can have a reliable water supply.

In 2004 Deputy Michael Kitt, a former Member of this House, asked when phase 2 of the Loughrea regional water supply scheme would be developed. He was told in reply that it was intended to commence construction in 2006 at a cost of over €35 million. That did not happen. The Government then produced a water services investment programme in 2007, in which it was indicated that the scheme would go to construction in 2009. That also did not happen.

On 3 March I asked a similar question in this Chamber and the Minister of State, Deputy Áine Brady, responded to my query. I had hoped the scheme would be included in the new water services investment programme published this week. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government requires every local authority to prepare an assessment of needs outlining the strategic and sustainable development needs of the county from the point of view of identifying where upgrades and improvements to water supply and sewage treatment plants are needed. The Minister of State stated the new programme would set out the water services contracts likely to proceed to construction in the next three years. In compiling the water services investment programme the Department relies on the expertise and local knowledge of local authorities. Galway County Council prepared such an assessment of needs. In the 11 schemes to receive priority in County Galway it listed the scheme in Loughrea at No. 5. It also indicated it would be in a position to begin delivering on the scheme in 2010 and that all of the information sought by the Department had been supplied by it. Within a matter of weeks the council would be ready to go to tender.

Last Tuesday morning when I read the details of the new water services investment programme, I was taken aback; the scheme in Loughrea had been omitted from the list of schemes to go to construction in the next three years. I am mystified by this, as are officials at Galway County Council, given that the scheme was first promised in 2006 and again in 2009. Its omission undermines the expertise and local knowledge of the local authority. I cannot understand why one would seek the opinion of a local authority and indicate that one relied on such an opinion in preparing an investment programme and then choose to ignore it.

In identifying the scheme in Loughrea as a priority Galway County Council pointed out how for the population of Kilreekil water for domestic and commercial use had to be transferred by tanker, the council having been unsuccessful in finding a suitable source of drinking water in the area. The provision of additional treatment facilities would safeguard the supply from cryptosporidium.

I cannot understand the decision made; neither can the people of Loughrea and Kilreekil or the officials of Galway County Council. I hope the Minister of State can enlighten us on the reasons it was taken.