Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 452: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the application by Kildare County Council to his Department for approval and funding in respect of a group water scheme (details supplied); when he expects to be in a position to allow the scheme to start; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37692/10]

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 Kildare. The total value of contracts underway and those proposed for commencement during the period of the programme in County Kildare is some €172m.

The Ballyna Regional Water Supply Scheme is not included among the contracts and schemes in County Kildare to be progressed under the Water Investment Programme over the period 2010-2012.

A key input to the development of the Programme was the assessment of needs prepared by local authorities, including Kildare County Council. These were subsequently appraised by my Department in the context of the funds available and key criteria that complemented those used by the authorities. Inevitably, through this process, certain projects that had been proposed had to give way to others that are more strategically important at this time, as the total value of contracts and schemes proposed by local authorities exceeded the level of resources likely to be available in the period.

The scope and format of the Programme for 2010 to 2012 is designed better to reflect ongoing environmental and economic priorities, to maximise the return on public funds being invested in the sector and to ensure that the Programme is realistic in its level of ambition. The contracts and schemes that did not rate sufficiently for inclusion in the Programme on this occasion were those which did not feature highly on public health grounds or other environmental compliance requirements (for example those relating to European Court of Justice proceedings, or those required in the context of the River Basin Management Plans, Shellfish Pollution Production Programmes, EPA reports etc) and projects that were proposed simply for capacity expansion (which was unrelated to the National Spatial Strategy/developing areas priorities), and which in the case of water supply can be deferred, in many cases, in favour of accelerated water conservation measures.