Ciarán Cannon (Fine Gael)
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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.

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for providing me with an opportunity to set out the position on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. As stated by Senator Cannon, the Minister earlier this week published a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure to be undertaken under his Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012. The total value of contracts underway and those in County Galway proposed for commencement during the period of the programme is some €130 million. The Loughrea regional water supply scheme is included in the list of schemes to advance through planning in this period.

Given the changed economic climate and the finalisation of the first cycle of river basin management plans, the new programme aims to prioritise projects that target environmental compliance issues. It also fully supports economic and employment growth as envisaged in the Government's policy document Building Ireland's Smart Economy - A Framework for Sustainable Economic Revival. The scope and format of the programme for 2010-2012 is designed to reflect ongoing environmental and economic priorities better, to maximise the return on public funds being invested in the sector and to ensure the programme is realistic in its level of ambition.

In developing the programme, a review was undertaken of all contracts and schemes listed in the previous programme in regard to which there had been little progress during the past two years to ensure those proceeding were aligned with current priorities. In this context, while the proposals for upgrading Loughrea water treatment plant were considered to reflect programme priorities, the planning of this infrastructure under previous programme cycles had not advanced sufficiently to allow for its inclusion as a contract to start construction in the programme period.

The length of time taken for schemes included in the water services investment programme to advance to completion of construction largely depends on the nature and complexity of the scheme and the statutory processes involved. The Department is involved at key stages in the development of schemes to ensure compliance with obligations relating to management and oversight of Exchequer expenditure. Ultimately, responsibility in relation to the detailed progression of schemes is a matter for the relevant local authority, in this instance Galway County Council.

In the case of Loughrea regional water supply, while this scheme was designated to commence construction last year under the 2007-09 programme, the planning phase of the scheme was not finalised during that programme period. The Department received from Galway County Council in early February this year a revised preliminary report setting out the latest design proposals for this scheme. The Department is examining this report and will convey a decision on it to the council as soon as possible. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has included an annual review process as one of a number of new measures in the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012 under which the programme will be reviewed and updated annually to allow for any reprioritisation required for the balance of the programme. This is intended to deal with investment requirements arising, for example, from the clarification of appropriate treatment for certain agglomerations from the licensing and certification process for waste water discharges rolled out by the EPA or from the ongoing monitoring of drinking water standards which may highlight risks which need to be addressed.

In regard to the Loughrea scheme, I can assure the Senator that the Department will continue to work closely with Galway County Council to ensure the scheme and other water services contracts and schemes included in the council's water services investment programme are advanced as far as practicable during the course of the next three years.

Ciarán Cannon (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, for his reply. It is my understanding that Galway County Council is at an advanced stage of planning for this scheme, as indicated in its assessment of needs where it sets out that the timeframe for delivery is 2010. The council has submitted all documentation and information required by the Department. The officials in Galway County Council have informed me that it will be ready to go to tender on this scheme by end of this year, yet Loughrea water scheme is not included on the Department's list of schemes to go to construction during the next three years. Not alone was this scheme included on the 2009 list but former Minister of State, Michael Kitt, was told in this Chamber in 2004 that it was intended to commence construction at an estimated cost of €35 million. I do not understand how, six year's later, we are still at planning stage.

When Galway County Council indicates to me that it is ready to go to tender, I will be seeking to have this scheme returned to the Department's list of schemes to go to construction.

The Seanad adjourned at 2.20 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 27 April 2010.