Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 395: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a recent report presented to Kildare County Council (details supplied) regarding water and sewerage projects already approved by his Department which the council now claims will be significantly delayed as a result of Circular Letter L5/08 6 May 2008; his views on whether the level of delay is justifiable; if the situation will be re-assessed in view of the essential nature of the projects involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22381/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 425: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the extent of funding required by Kildare County Council to undertake the provision of water schemes, sewerage schemes, group sewerage schemes and group water schemes; if all or any of such amounts will be drawn down in 2008 or thereafter; if he has issued instructions in this regard; if he has sanctioned any or all pending schemes; if he has imposed restrictions in regard to the tendering process; if he has deferred or authorised expenditure on such schemes since his appointment as Minister; if he has revised or proposes to revise the tendering process; the extent to which this will slow or expedite the delivery of various schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22298/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 425 together.

Capital funding of €207.3m has been committed to approved water services schemes in Co. Kildare under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009 which is available in the Oireachtas Library. In addition, I have allocated a block grant of €1.886m to Kildare County Council for 2008 under the devolved Rural Water Programme. Funding under both Programmes may be drawn down by the Council as required.

In October 2006, the Department of Finance, which is responsible for public procurement rules, issued instructions requiring all traditional public works projects to use new forms of construction contracts from February 2007 onwards. The new forms of contract were introduced to achieve greater cost certainty, better value for money and more timely and efficient delivery of publicly funded projects. However, at that time contracting authorities were given the option of either switching over to the new forms of contract or completing any contract documents on which detailed drafting was already underway. I understand that Kildare County Council opted to complete the contract documents it was working on for a number of its schemes.

This interim arrangement has recently been brought to a conclusion by the Department of Finance. All public works contracts must now be awarded using the new forms of contract. Kildare County Council has been informed accordingly.