Written answers
Wednesday, 13 April 2005
Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Water and Sewerage Schemes
9:00 pm
Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will approve the contract documents for the provision of a sewerage scheme in Lecarrow, County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11275/05]
Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Lecarrow was one of six locations included in a wider pilot programme undertaken by the national rural water monitoring committee to identify and test under Irish conditions innovative, cost effective solutions to the provision of wastewater collection and treatment systems in small towns and villages, based on low cost emerging technologies and the potential role for group sewerage schemes in extending domestic wastewater services to households outside the immediate catchments of the new sewage collection networks being provided under the programme.
My Department's examination of the tender report for the pilot programme submitted by Meath County Council, acting as procurement authority for the participating local authorities, has established that only two of the five short-listed contractors submitted valid tenders, that the tender values did not accord with the low-cost concept that was a fundamental element of the pilot programme and that the solutions offered did not provide the degree of innovation envisaged in the context of potential new approaches to wastewater collection and treatment for smaller agglomerations.
In light of the outcome of the tender process, but without prejudice to the wider pilot programme, my Department has conveyed approval to the five participating local authorities to withdraw from the grouped procurement arrangements under the pilot programme and for each authority to immediately proceed to individually invite tenders for the provision of stand-alone wastewater facilities at each of the locations involved, including Lecarrow, by conventional procurement, with a view to construction commencing later this year.
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