John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the service land initiative for Castlecomer, County Kilkenny, will be approved; the timeframe involved in the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23485/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Castlecomer Sewerage Scheme was approved for funding under the Serviced Land Initiative Sub-Programme of my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007 – 2009 in December 2008. Following a review of the Serviced Land Initiative, I informed Water Services Authorities in April 2009 that all existing approvals for schemes in the sub-programme, where contractual commitments had not already been entered into, were withdrawn. However, I also informed Water Services Authorities that it was open to them to make a case to my Department for the continuation of any approved scheme where contracts had not already been signed and where the scheme was considered necessary for the proper development of the area it would serve. Kilkenny County Council has made such a case in respect of the Castlecomer scheme, which is currently under examination in my Department.