Marie Moloney (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to take this matter. It is my second time putting down the same Adjournment matter as I also dealt with this in February last, and I am now seeking an update. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, will be very au fait with this, and he ducks every time he sees me in the corridor because he knows well what I am going to ask him about it.

For the information of the Minister of State, Kilcummin sewerage scheme was approved, went to tender, had a contractor appointed and had funding made available, but it was then pulled due to a problem with the contractor. The people of Kilcummin feel absolutely frustrated at this stage. They are being pushed from post to pillar and from Billy to Jack, as they say, and we seem to be getting nowhere. If one speaks to the council, it is a matter for the Department; if one speaks to the Department, it is the council's problem.

To be fair to the Minister, Deputy Hogan, he said at the end of the debate in February: "If they reach agreement, we are in a position to look at the funding." It is not a matter of funding for this scheme, or at least that is what I am being told. A briefing note from the Minister's office in June 2013 stated that Kerry County Council had commissioned a further technical report which is expected to be forwarded to the Department in July 2013. At an area meeting of Kerry County Council during the week, the councillors were advised that the report was with the Department. Nobody seems to get a clear answer, so I hope the Minister of State is here to give me a clear answer and outline the current position. Is it with the Department or the council, and what is the hold-up? It is a never-ending saga for the people of Kilcummin. I will wait for the Minister of State's reply before I comment further.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I hope to update Senator Moloney although I am not sure it will be a final solution. I am taking the matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan.

The Kilcummin sewerage scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010-13 as a scheme to advance through planning during the life of the programme. As the Senator will be aware, Kerry County Council awarded a contract for the combined Kilcummin-Barraduff sewerage scheme in 2007. Work commenced on this contract in April 2007. However, the contractor at the time was also engaged in construction work on another sewerage scheme, the Milltown sewerage scheme. As a result, progress on the Kilcummin-Barraduff contract was slow. In July 2007 the council suspended the contract in accordance with the terms that were set out in it. The contractor agreed to withdraw from the Kilcummin portion of the contract and resumed work in Barraduff. As a consequence of the problems, no work was carried out on the Kilcummin scheme.

Kerry County Council submitted a revised proposal for the Kilcummin sewerage scheme to my Department in December 2009.

In view of the high unit costs associated with providing the scheme, the council was requested by my Department in May 2010 to review its scope. The council submitted a further proposal to the Department in June 2012. Concerns persisted regarding the unit costs of the scheme and, following discussions with the Department, it was decided that the council would submit further information to enable the Department to make a decision on the matter. That submission is awaited.

The Minister is conscious of the impacts the discharges from Kilcummin are having on the local environment and on Lough Leane and is keen to have the problem resolved. Therefore, when Kerry County Council submits the additional information, it will be dealt with without delay. I am sure the Senator will hold us to that.

The council, meanwhile, has been moving ahead with the improvement of water services infrastructure in the county. It has completed ten schemes or contracts in this regard, including sewerage schemes for Firies, Milltown, Farranfore, Rathmore and Barraduff, and water supply schemes or contracts in Listowel, Cahersiveen, Ardfert and at Scart reservoir, which is part of the central regional water supply scheme. It has also completed the combined Waterville water and sewerage scheme. The council expects to go to tender shortly on the Ardfert sewerage scheme and to award the contract for wastewater treatment plants for the Ballylongford and Tarbert sewerage schemes. In addition, the council is also pressing ahead with its water conservation programme throughout the county, which was identified as a key priority under my Department's water services investment programme.

From 1 January 2014, Irish Water will be responsible for the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. That body is engaging with each local authority to assess priorities and is preparing a capital investment plan for 2014-2015. This plan will provide for the transition of relevant projects currently included in the water services investment programme.

I realise this is not the definitive answer the Senator was seeking, but I hope it will provide some clarity. To reiterate, the Minister has said there will be no delay in making a decision on the matter raised.

Marie Moloney (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for her reply although, as she acknowledged, it is not exactly what I wanted to hear. She clarified one particular issue, however, namely, that the report is still not with the Department, notwithstanding the assurances we received locally that it had been sent. Somewhere along the line, it seems to have fallen through the cracks.

The Minister of State's reply was disappointing in that it echoed, almost word for word, the response I received in February this year. The only substantive difference is the indication that the report is not with the Department. I will have to go back to Kerry County Council to try to discover the true story. It is claiming the report is with the Department. Somebody, it seems, is telling porkies.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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To clarify, the council did send in a submission, but the Department sought, and is awaiting, further information.

Marie Moloney (Labour)
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As of last Wednesday, the council claimed the report was with the Department. Was the further information requested after that date?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I am simply highlighting what is set out in the reply, namely, that the council has been asked to submit further information to enable my Department to proceed.

Marie Moloney (Labour)
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In other words, the submission remains to be finalised by the council.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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That is correct.