Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has issued instructions to the various local authorities, the results of which is a review of contracts already entered into in respect of water, sewerage or housing schemes being deferred; the degree to which this is likely to delay investment in infrastructure; the extent, if known, to which this is likely to postpone remedial or upgrading works necessary to prevent the issue of pollution of ground water, rivers, streams and lakes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9764/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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There is no review under way in relation to existing contracts under the water services investment programme, which continue to be funded as usual. Water services authorities were asked in July 2009 to submit an assessment of needs for water and sewerage services to my Department by 23 October 2009. In preparing these assessments, water services authorities were required to take into consideration key environmental and economic criteria in prioritising contracts and schemes to be progressed in their areas. My Department is finalising its consideration of these assessments, which form a key input to the development of the 2010 to 2012 water Services Investment programme that I expect to publish shortly. Water services authorities were asked as part of their needs assessments to review schemes which had not sufficiently advanced under earlier programmes to ensure that they continued to have relevance in light of the priorities set out by my Department for the new programme. Where preliminary reports had not been progressed for schemes listed in the water services investment programme 2007–09 or where preliminary reports had been approved for over two years with no subsequent contracts having yet started, these schemes were not to be automatically included in the next programme but were to be examined in conjunction with all other potential schemes in determining the priorities for the water services investment programme 2010–12. Water services authorities had been notified in April 2009 of the discontinuation of the serviced land initiative sub-programme of the water services investment programme in light of developments in the economy at large and, in particular, the housing market. These measures do not in any way delay investment in infrastructure but ensure that funds invested are targeted at contracts and schemes that meet key environmental and economic priorities. Some €508 million has been provided by the Exchequer for water services infrastructure in 2010. Against the current economic backdrop, this level of investment, which will mean that average spending on water services over the period 2009 and 2010 will be up 3% on the 2008 outturn, continues to reflect the priority assigned by Government to providing critical water services infrastructure.