Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 490: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the new capital projects associated with his Department gone to tender that will begin in 2010; the new capital projects gone to tender that were due to start in 2010 but are not now proceeding; the capital projects that are in the middle of construction at present; his views on the importance of such projects in getting capital flowing into banks and around the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3166/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department's responsibilities include capital programmes for Housing, Water Services, Environmental and Heritage Protection, Fire Services, Libraries and other capital projects implemented primarily by local authorities but also by my Department. The scale of these activities, involving hundreds of separate projects at varying stage of implementation primarily by local authorities, ranges across social and affordable housing, water supply and waste water treatment systems, construction and upgrading of fire stations and libraries, as well as improvement works by my Department at National Parks.

I am acutely aware of the value of our key infrastructural investment programmes in terms of employment creation and maintenance, economic recovery, and social and environmental support. Expenditure provisions for 2010 for my Department are set out in the Estimates Volume published by the Minister for Finance as part of Budget 2010; these include some €1.5 billion for investment in my Department's capital programmes. My Department, local authorities and related agencies will work to maximize outputs from the 2010 provisions through prioritisation, increased efficiency and lower procurement costs generally. The compilation of the detailed information sought in relation to individual projects would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work by my Department, including contact with local authorities.