Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 502: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the percentage of funding his Department will provide towards a new sewerage plant for a town (details supplied) in County Monaghan; his views on whether there is difficulty for counties such as Monaghan, that have had little or no benefit from inward investment towards job creation to fund the demands that his Department are requesting of such councils and that exorbitant capital charges on industry could such industry unviable; if he will reconsider the level of funding provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7917/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Carrickmacross Sewerage Scheme is approved for funding under the Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009, at an estimated cost of €22 million. Work on the network element of the scheme is expected to commence shortly. Monaghan County Council also propose to extend and refurbish the existing Wastewater Treatment Plant in the town. The Council's Tender Documents for the work are under examination in my Department.

In accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive, water services authorities are required to recover the cost of providing water services from the users of these services, on the basis of average operational and marginal capital costs, with the exception of households using water services for domestic purposes, and the special transitional arrangements for recognised schools which were recently approved by the Government. The recovery of the cost of providing water services to the non-domestic sector is achieved by means of meter based volumetric charges; metering of the non-domestic sector for this purpose is expected to be completed by mid-2008.

In the case of each project funded under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme the marginal capital cost of servicing non-domestic consumers is required to be met by the non-domestic sector. Marginal capital cost is calculated on the basis of existing and future non-domestic capacity requirements which vary from scheme to scheme. Non-domestic marginal capital costs are recovered by a water services authority from all non-domestic consumers in its functional area (i.e. on a county-wide basis) through a combination of water charges on non-domestic customers and development contributions or by a specific contribution where an industry wishes to reserve a specific capacity.

My Department and Monaghan County Council are in communication in relation to the non-domestic contribution towards the Carrickmacross scheme and a decision in relation to the overall funding arrangements for the scheme will be made as soon as possible.