Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 416: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he last received a request from the various local authorities in County Kildare for approval or capital funding to replace or upgrade waste water treatment systems within the county in line with the expanding population; his plans to meet in full such requirements within the shortest possible time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14707/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 419: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number and location of the local authorities throughout the country from which he or his Department have received submissions in regard to funding for the provision or upgrading of sewerage treatment or improvement systems; if it is intended to meet in full such requirements in 2008 or within reasonable timescale; if he has evaluated the risk of water pollution arising from obsolete, deficient or non-existent systems; his intentions to address this issue as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14702/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 420: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the extent to which he has received submissions or correspondence from the various local authorities in County Kildare seeking the provision, upgrading, extension or replacement of sewage treatment facilities serving any or all parts to the county; the extent to which he intends or expects to meet in full or in part such requirements in the short, medium or long term; the specific time-scale in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14710/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 423: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the deficiencies in the waste water treatment systems serving the various towns and villages throughout County Kildare; his plans to address these issues in the short, medium or long term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14712/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 424: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of reports he has received in his Department regarding possible pollution of domestic drinking water supplies arising from overflows, malfunction or overloaded with municipal waste water treatment systems; his plans to address such issues in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14704/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 416, 419, 420, 423 and 424 together.

As an input to the overall strategy for meeting water services infrastructural requirements, local authorities, including Kildare County Council, are required by my Department to undertake regular assessments of needs for new or upgraded infrastructure in their areas and to determine their priorities in accordance with the assessments. In carrying out the most recent such assessments in 2006, authorities were required to take a range of factors into account, including:

Relevant national and EU environmental and public health water quality statutory requirements and standards, including the requirements of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulations, 2001,

Relevant reports and studies such as the National Urban Waste Water Study and County Sludge Management Plans and any similar studies/reports commissioned locally;

Relevant reports produced by the Environmental Protection Agency on water quality and urban wastewater discharges;

The adequacy of existing collection networks and, in the case of anticipated development, the adequacy of the capacity of existing treatment plants;

Continued support for economic activity in in-fill and green field sites through the Serviced Land Initiative and the need to address infrastructural deficits in small rural towns.

All of these needs assessments undertaken by the local authorities were taken into account in the selection and scheduling of the schemes approved for funding under my Departments Water Services Investment Programme 2007 -2009 which is available in the Oireachtas Library.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 417: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has received correspondence from Kildare County Council seeking approval or capital allocation for the implementation of the Balyna/Broadford group water scheme; if his attention has been drawn to the urgent necessity to meet such requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14701/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Ballyna Regional Water Supply Scheme, which replaces a previous proposal to serve the area through a group water scheme, is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007- 2009 as a scheme to advance through planning at an estimated cost of €11.5 million. My Department is awaiting submission of Kildare County Council's brief for the appointment of consultants to prepare a Preliminary Report for the scheme.