John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I apologise on behalf of the Minister who cannot be present this evening.

I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to set out the current position on the Kinvara sewerage scheme. The scheme is one of 26 water services projects, with a total value of €113 million, included in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's water services investment programme for the period 2010 to 2012 that are due to advance to construction in County Galway during the period of the programme. Under the scheme, Galway County Council proposes to provide a new wastewater treatment plant and upgrade and extend the collection network in the town, at an estimated cost of €4.8 million. The Department is examining the council's design review report on the scheme which was received last July and a decision on the revised design proposals will be conveyed to the council as soon as possible.

The Department is awaiting additional information from Galway County Council on the two foreshore licence applications before the Department for site investigation works associated with the outfall pipe for the Kinvara sewerage scheme and the construction of the outfall. The council has yet to carry out an assessment of the impact of discharges from the new treatment plant on the special area of conservation within which the new outfall pipe will be located and the adjacent special protection area. It must also submit a marine safety statement on the potential impact of these developments on navigational safety. Until both assessments are submitted, the Department cannot progress the applications further. Accordingly, the sooner the council submits the outstanding assessments, the sooner the Department can conclude its examination of the foreshore licence applications and the council can, in turn, advance the Kinvara sewerage scheme to procurement stage. To that end, all statutory and planning processes must be completed before the council can proceed with the preparation of contract documents for the scheme.

The Minister is aware that the Kinvara sewerage scheme is a priority for Galway County Council in the context of water services provision in the county. His Department is committed to advancing the project as quickly as possible. Once the council's revised design proposals for the scheme have been approved and the foreshore licence applications have been determined by the Department, the council will be in a position to draft contract documents to seek tenders for the scheme.

Under the Department's devolved schemes administration procedures, Galway County Council will be able to advance the Kinvara sewerage scheme to construction without further recourse to the Department, other than to obtain confirmation that the necessary funding is in place before a contract is signed with the successful tenderer. The Department will continue to work closely with the council to ensure the scheme and the other contracts and schemes in its programme are advanced as far as practicable in the next two years.