Michael McCarthy (Labour)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Áine Brady, to the House again. She was in the House for the Adjournment debate last week and it was the same order, with Senator Corrigan speaking before I did. It seems like déjÀ vu.

This motion concerns the sewage treatment scheme for Courtmacsherry and Timoleague, two picturesque villages in south-west County Cork, beautifully located between Kinsale and Clonakilty. Courtmacsherry is a very vibrant area with a very vibrant community spirit. It is an area that is pleasant to visit and is very important to tourism in west County Cork and further afield. If the Leas-Chathaoirleach is playing golf in that area he must make sure to call in there at some stage. There is now a Fine Gael county councillor from Courtmacsherry, which would make his visit all the more worthwhile.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Good man, John O'Sullivan.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is straying from the point.

Michael McCarthy (Labour)
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This area depends on tourism. This is a very important infrastructural project for the area. A group of people from the area travelled to Dublin and met the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, prior to the local elections. I know the Minister has holidayed in the area and is very aware of the location. He has done the walk from Timoleague to Courtmacsherry. He is very aware of the issue which is dear to his heart. He gave an assurance to the deputation that the issue would get swift action.

Regarding the area's community spirit, a development and festival association organises a number of events throughout the year. I have been there in my capacity as a public representative on many occasions to savour the hospitality and welcome that awaits all visitors to Courtmacsherry, whether it be the storytelling festival, the harbour festival or the strand races. This project is very important to these people and we would hope funding will be available. I organised to have a series of parliamentary questions tabled. I have raised the issue with the senior engineers in Cork County Council. With dealings between national and local government, wires tend to get crossed and while commitments may be made by Government, it might be scéal eile when it comes to the local authority.

I would like the Minister of State to indicate when the project will proceed and whether funding has been earmarked for it. I understand we live in straitened times and there are economic difficulties. However, I urge the Government to pay particular attention to this request and to follow up on a commitment given by the Minister, Deputy Gormley, to a group of people from the area, whom he met prior to the local elections. The motion is self-explanatory. It is very important for tourism in west County Cork and for this harbour village that we get this scheme operational as soon as possible.

Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, and I thank the Senator for raising it. The Courtmacsherry and Timoleague sewerage scheme is included for funding in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's water services investment programme 2007-2009. The Minister is aware of the need to improve the waste water infrastructure in the two villages. He is also conscious of the importance of the new scheme to the tourism industry in both locations, especially in Courtmacsherry which has seen significant tourism, residential and other commercial development in recent years.

The Department is assessing Cork County Council's revised design proposals for the scheme which were submitted last month. The works now proposed involve upgrading the waste water collection networks in both villages and providing rising mains to connect the collection systems to a new waste water treatment plant to be built to the west of Courtmacsherry at an estimated cost of €4.3 million. The council had reviewed the scale and scope of the scheme to reduce the proportion of scheme costs that it would need to meet from its own resources under water pricing policy.

Under water pricing policy, which is based on the polluter pays principle, the Department generally meets the full capital cost of services for the existing domestic population, with an allowance for organic growth, plus up to 40% of the cost of servicing planned residential development. The marginal additional cost of serving current and future non-domestic activity, such as shops, offices, hotels, restaurants and so on, must be funded locally through a combination of commercial water charges and development levies. Cork County Council's previous design proposals for the Courtmacsherry and Timoleague scheme cost more than €6.3 million and had included significant additional capacity for new commercial development. The Department is carefully considering the council's latest proposals for the Courtmacsherry and Timoleague scheme and the Minister expects to be in a position to notify the council of the outcome of this process soon.

A total of €500 million is available for the water services investment programme for 2009, which is a 1% increase on the record outturn on the programme for last year. The Minister expects that the available resources will allow up to 50 major new schemes to commence this year, some of which have already started. The Department will prioritise the remaining schemes yet to start, including the Courtmacsherry and Timoleague sewerage scheme, having regard to environmental and economic objectives, including schemes required to meet national and EU environmental standards on drinking water and waste water disposal, European Court of Justice cases and works that will support economic development.

The Department will be working with local authorities over the coming months to identify the priority projects to form the basis of the next phase of the water services investment programme. I assure the Senator that the Minister is fully aware of the importance of the Courtmacsherry and Timoleague sewerage scheme for the localities concerned. The Department and Cork County Council will continue to work closely together to ensure the council is in a position to advance the scheme should it be approved to start later this year.

Michael McCarthy (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for her reply and her attention to the matter. I hope we can look forward to this project getting off the ground later in the year. Regarding the last sentence, we should delete "should it be approved" and insert "when it will be approved". I hope that will be the case. It is important the Leas-Chathaoirleach would make that visit before the summer is out.