Written answers

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Water and Sewerage Schemes

9:00 pm

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 406: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will advance the Rathowen sewerage scheme, County Westmeath. [34647/11]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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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 Westmeath. While provision is made to commence contracts to the value of some €95 million in the county during the period of the programme, the Rathowen Sewerage Scheme is not amongst the priority contracts and schemes included.

The Programme aims to prioritise projects that target environmental compliance issues and support economic and employment growth. A key input to the development of the Programme was the assessment of needs prepared by local authorities, including Westmeath County Council, in response to my Department's request to the authorities in 2009 to review and prioritise their proposals for new capital works in their areas. These were subsequently appraised in the Department in the context of the funds available and key criteria that complemented those used by the authorities. Inevitably, through this process, certain projects included in previous programmes which had not advanced, had to give way to others that are more strategically important at this time.

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