Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 744: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps being taken by his Department to ensure a sewerage scheme is installed in the Achill Sound area of County Mayo which will serve the full community, which will be affordable to the community and which will serve future generations; his views on whether these steps are necessary in view of the fact that it is on the cards for 15 years and in view of the fact that the polluter pays principle means that it is making the scheme economically impossible; if he will examine the situation; his views on meeting with the group to outline the possibilities available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27448/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to the reply to Question No. 250 of 29 June 2006.

My Department is in discussions with Mayo County Council in relation to the scheme and will consider urgently revised proposals which the Council has undertaken to submit within the next few weeks.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 745: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the proposed increase in abstraction levels at Ballymore Eustace, County Kildare will take effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27469/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant Expansion Scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 as a scheme to commence construction this year.

Dublin City Council's tender recommendations for both the civil and mechanical and electrical contracts for the scheme are under examination in my Department and are being dealt with as quickly as possible.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 747: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of applications for works which have been made to his Department in the context of the water services investment programme; the number of these which were granted, refused, commenced and completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27471/06]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 748: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of counties which have applied for the construction or expansion of water and waste water treatment plants each year since 2000; the number of these applications which have been granted; the extent of funding allocated for such works; the number of these projects which have been completed; if there were unsuccessful applications; if so, the reason for their failure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27472/06]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 749: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to any county experiencing water shortages due to increased demand for service; the way in which such shortages are to be resolved; the measures he has taken to ensure that such shortages are prevented from occurring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27473/06]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 750: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of households approximately which derive their water supplies from each local authority's water supply network at present; the water services infrastructural upgrades which have been made in each county since 1996; the increases in the volume of water abstracted from sources which have occurred in each county since 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27474/06]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 751: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, regarding the water services investment programme, census figures pertaining to population increases will be taken into account when planning for development of the water services system; if the national level of housing construction has been taken into account when devising the investment programme; if the programme is sufficiently flexible to accommodate significant fluctuations in housing construction which may affect the level of water supply required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27475/06]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 752: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there is an established minimum level of service pertaining to water provision that must be provided to households who source their water via local government mains supply; if so, the way in which this level of service is guaranteed; if he has satisfied himself that it is maintained; if not, his views on introducing guidelines in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27476/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 747 to 752, inclusive, together.

Management of public drinking water supplies is the responsibility of the local authorities, which have a range of instruments and measures available to them to produce and conserve sufficient stocks to meet anticipated needs. New infrastructure projects including water conservation works, are approved for funding under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme mainly on the basis of priorities identified in regular assessments of needs undertaken by local authorities, at my Department's request, as an input to the overall strategy for meeting public water supply and waste water requirements. The latest assessments were carried out in 2003 and the resulting priorities have been taken into account in the framing of subsequent phases of the Water Services Investment Programme. The current phase of the Programme, which sets out my Department's investment strategy for the years 2005 to 2007, including details of all approved schemes and the associated funding, is available in the Oireachtas Library. Information in relation to other scheme proposals may appropriately be sought from individual local authorities.

Local authorities have recently been asked by my Department to produce updated water services needs assessments and to review their infrastructural priorities in light of economic, demographic and other developments, including housing, that have taken place since the previous assessments were completed in 2003. These assessments will identify requirements for additional water production, treatment, storage or distribution capacity and will inform future phases of the Water Services Investment Programme. In addition, should there be an urgent need to expedite an individual proposal in response to particular circumstances new schemes may be added to the Programme at any time.

Some €3.7 billion will be spent under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 on the provision of water services infrastructure. A total of 334 water services schemes were completed under the Water Services Investment Programme in the period 2000 to 2005.

Information regarding households whose water supplies are provided by local authorities is available in Table 13 of Volume 13 of the 2002 Census of Population published by the Central Statistics Office, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library. Details of public water supply schemes completed in the period 1996 to 2005, which have produced additional drinking water treatment capacity equivalent to the needs of a population of 1.1 million, are set out in the following tabular statement. The increase in storage capacity over the same period was sufficient to meet the requirements of a population of over 1.6 million.