Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 386: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will confirm that water-main rehabilitation contracts have gone to tender; if so, when he expects construction work to commence on these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27096/10]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 424: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding any estimates that have been carried out and available to his Department on the total expenditure required to carry out mains rehabilitation work throughout the country to reduce unaccounted for water on a nationwide basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26919/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 386 and 424 together.

Mains rehabilitation is a key priority under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2012, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library. A key input to the development of the Programme was the assessment of needs prepared by local authorities in response to my Department's request to the authorities last year to review and prioritise their proposals for new capital works, including mains rehabilitation works, in their areas. In their needs assessments, local authorities identified mains rehabilitation works with a value of some €320 million which were subsequently included in the new Programme as contracts due to commence over the period of the Programme. Funding is particularly targeted at areas where the level of unaccounted for water is unacceptably high. Over time, this investment of €320 million over the next three years should lead to marked reductions in unaccounted for water and progress will continue to be monitored on an annual basis through the local authority service indicator process.

The phasing and funding of mains rehabilitation projects for each local authority are set out in the published Programme. The progression and timing of the commencement of construction of those contracts would ultimately be a matter for the relevant local authority, depending on the nature and complexity of the project, any statutory processes involved and the need for compliance with my Department's project procurement guidelines for water conservation projects.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 387: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Parliamentary Question No. 951 of 3 November 2009, the position regarding funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26232/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I refer to the reply to question No. 316 of 11 May 2010 which sets out the position on the Cooraclare Sewerage Scheme.