John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in County Galway. The Kinvara Sewerage Scheme is included in the Programme amongst the list of contracts in the county to start in the period 2010-2012.

My Department is currently examining Galway County Council's design review report for the scheme and a decision on the report will be conveyed to the Council as soon as possible. Once approved, the Council can then proceed with the preparation of contract documents for the scheme.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1445 and 1522 together.

The Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in County Galway. The Loughrea Water Treatment Plant element of the Loughrea Regional Water Supply Scheme is included amongst the list of schemes in the county to advance through planning during the period of this Programme.

Galway County Council submitted a revised Preliminary Report for the overall Loughrea Regional Water Supply Scheme to the Department in February 2010. As part of my Department's ongoing assessment of this Report, my Department is also examining Galway County Council's most recent cost estimates for its proposals to provide a water supply from Loughrea to Kilreekil which were submitted in August 2010.

A decision on the Report, including the cost estimates, will be conveyed to the Council as soon as possible. However, it should be noted that, although upgrading the treatment plant is a pre-requisite to providing a water supply to Kilreekil village, the Council's proposals to connect Kilreekil to the Loughrea Regional Water Supply Scheme are not part of this project at this time.

I have included a review process as one of a number of new measures in the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012, under which the Programme will be reviewed and updated annually to allow for any re-prioritisation required. The format and timing of the review process has still to be decided by my Department. When finalised, it will be a matter for Galway County Council to decide whether to submit the trunk main to Kilreekil element of the Loughrea Regional Water Supply Scheme to my Department for consideration for inclusion in the new Programme.

Insofar as the Kilreekil Group Water Scheme is concerned, responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes funding for group water schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The advancement of individual group schemes under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant funding provided, is, therefore, a matter for the relevant local authority i.e. Galway County Council in this case.