Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 266: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he will take in view of the importance of the environment and built heritage to the tourism industry here to resolve the Galway water crisis, the continuing litter problem and the consideration of Ireland's built heritage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19556/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department is maintaining close contact with Galway City and County Councils to assist in resolving the current water supply difficulties. The immediate priority is to augment the city's supply from the Tuam Regional Water Supply Scheme to allow the old Terryland Plant, the source of the cryptosporidium outbreak, to be decommissioned as soon as possible.

My Department has also made additional financial and staffing resources available to the Galway local authorities to address short-term emergency measures and to implement the permanent, long-term infrastructural solutions. Galway City has received €825,000 and Galway County Council €356,000 from a funding package of €15 million allocated to local authorities earlier this year to assist with the operational costs of water and sewerage schemes. The amounts allocated to Galway reflect the additional costs to the authorities arising as a result of the outbreak.

Both Councils received sanction in May 2007 for additional engineering and administrative posts to respond to the present situation and to accelerate the provision of new drinking water infrastructure approved under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-07. The Galway City Water Supply and the Tuam Town Water Distribution schemes are being funded under the Programme at a combined estimated cost of over €48 million and are being advanced with every possible urgency. My Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-07 provides for total expenditure of over €451 million on new water and sewerage schemes for Galway City and County.

Under the Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2003, primary responsibility for developing and implementing responses to litter lies with local authorities. Every opportunity will continue to be taken by my Department to urge local authorities to enforce the litter laws as rigorously as possible and to pursue litter awareness-raising and education initiatives.

My Department has overall policy responsibility for built heritage, while OPW is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain national historic properties in State ownership/ guardianship.

As part of the substantial annual financial assistance (some €36.724 million in 2007) made available by my Department for the protection of the built heritage, almost €20 million has been allocated in 2007 under the Built Heritage Capital Programme for the carrying out of conservation works at (a) heritage properties in State ownership, (b) certain other properties not in State care, (c) civic structures which are in public ownership or open to the public generally and (d) properties which are on the Register of Protected Structures (RPS) administered by the local authorities. This investment will complement the funding being provided under the Tourism Product Development Strategy 2007-2013 which is being promoted by Fáilte Ireland under the aegis of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.

My Department also funds the Heritage Council to cover its operational costs as well as providing funding for its capital grants schemes and for Heritage Week which is administered by the Council.