Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount allocated for capital investment in water services in the 2008 and 2009 budgets; the amount spent; the amount returned to his Department unspent; the moneys which have works been carried out using the allocation for capital investment in water services in 2008 and to date in 2009; if progress is being made in the upgrading of the water services infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42959/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together.

The capital provision and expenditure outturn for water services infrastructure in 2008 was €471.4 million and €496.4 million, respectively. A provision of €500 million is available for investment in water services infrastructure in 2009. Expenditure to date in 2009 amounts to €442.6 million; the full year provision will be spent by year end.

Capital investment in 2008 involved expenditure of €220 million on major wastewater infrastructure projects and €171 million on major water supply projects. 41 projects were completed during the year and 127 projects were in progress at the end of the year. A further €105 million was spent on schemes in the Rural Water Programme, which is largely devolved to local authorities.

Capital investment in 2009 to date has involved expenditure of €207 million on major wastewater infrastructure projects and €166 million on major water supply projects. It is anticipated that some 40 projects will be completed this year and that some 120 projects will be in progress at year end. A further €70 million has been spent to date on schemes in the Rural Water Programme.

Progress is being made by local authorities on the provision of water services in their areas. This has been assisted through the high levels of investment in recent years, together with new legislation on the supervision and enforcement of drinking water standards in public water supplies and the licensing of wastewater treatment plants.

There is an ongoing need to expand and improve our water and wastewater treatment capacity to ensure compliance with EU judgements and other required environmental standards, to anticipate future economic and social development needs and to ensure investment decisions reflect other national priorities such as the National Spatial Strategy. These issues have been central to the assessment of needs for water services infrastructure in their areas that I asked local authorities to undertake in recent months. These assessments will form the basis of projects to be included in the Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2012, which is to be published early next year.

In addition, my Department is currently undertaking a Value for Money Study in relation to the efficiency and effectiveness of delivery of the Water Services Investment Programme as part of the Government's Value for Money Reviews for 2009 – 2011. The outcome of this study will also influence the implementation of future water services investment programmes.