Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the criteria that will be used to prioritise water and sewerage schemes in County Carlow in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12900/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2012 includes details of the contracts to commence in County Carlow, and nationally, over the period 2010 to 2012, as well as schemes to advance through planning in this period. A copy of the Programme is available in the Oireachtas library.

The specific environmental and economic pressures that have informed priorities and project selection in the Programme are: water conservation proposals which meet environmental and economic goals; environmental objectives including works required to respond to: judgments of the European Court of Justice; environment and Public Health Objectives arising, for example, from environmental regulation in respect of drinking water standards, wastewater treatment standards, wastewater discharge authorisations, bathing water standards, Pollution Reduction Programme for Shellfish Waters, fresh water pearl mussel plans, etc; and; compliance with the Water Framework Directive requirements and; projects which support economic development and employment creation.

My Department is currently undertaking an annual review of the Programme. There are two components to this review: a review of progress of all schemes and contracts currently in the Programme, and following that a consideration of the need for any reprioritisation of contracts and schemes, including addressing issues which have emerged since the Programme was published and which require an urgent response. The current scale of the published Programme was set in the context of likely available financial resources over the medium term. In light of this, and given the short time which has passed since the extensive review undertaken in the development of the Programme, there is only scope for, and should only be a need for, minor adjustments to the Programme at this stage.