Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

As the Senator is aware, I am responding on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, who is in Rio de Janeiro on Government business. I thank the Senator for providing me with the opportunity to clarify the position on the development of proposals for, and the procurement of, further wastewater facilities in the Gweedore area.

The Gweedore sewerage scheme is included in the Department's water services investment programme 2010-13 as a scheme to start construction during the lifetime of the programme. The proposed scheme will comprise one or two contracts providing for a treatment plant capable of dealing with effluent from a population equivalent of 4,550 and a sewer network of approximately 21 km, serving the core areas of Dore, Bunbeg and Derrybeg, and a 5.7 km outfall. The estimated cost of this work is €11.4 million. I believe progress has been made since the late Deputy Cormac Breslin was seized of the issue.

The scheme is one element of the Department's water services investment programme 2010-13 which consists of 340 contracts to be progressed to construction during the period of the programme, with a value of €1.8 billion, as well as a further 190 schemes, on which planning is being advanced. Following a review of the programme in 2011, a further 24 contracts, with a value of €57 million, were added. In Donegal, there are 15 contracts at, or due to start, construction during the lifetime of the programme, at a total estimated value of €80 million, including major sewerage schemes in Letterkenny and Killybegs. A further 11 contracts are at planning stage.

Donegal County Council's design review report for the Gweedore scheme is with the Department, as Senator Ó Domhnaill has said. However, the Department has sought further clarification on a number of issues and will continue to liaise with council with a view to progressing the scheme as quickly as possible.