Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost benefit analysis behind the greater Dublin drainage and waste water plant scheme in Fingal, which will cost of €2 billion to the Exchequer; the impact that such a large treatment plant will have on Dublin north; the impact on the selected town of having to process the waste of the entire Dublin area compared with the impact of creating separate smaller treatment plants around the city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37430/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study (GDSDS) published in 2005 represented a strategic analysis of the existing drainage systems in the Greater Dublin Area and made a number of recommendations to meet future needs having regard to whole-life costs and environmental performance. The €2 billion cost referred to in the question is the estimated cost, in whole life terms, for all of the waste water improvements in the Greater Dublin Area recommended in the report. This includes the expansion of a number of waste water treatment plants in the region, as well as the proposed new regional plant in North Dublin. It is not intended that the regional treatment plant would treat waste water from the entire Dublin area.

A firm estimate of cost of the North Dublin project will be available when the Preliminary Report for the scheme is completed and the locations of all three elements of the project - the treatment plant, outfall and orbital sewer - are confirmed, along with the technology that will be used at the waste water treatment works. However, my Department understands from Fingal County Council that the entire scheme is not expected to cost more than €500m. Fingal County Council, as contracting authority, will be required to demonstrate that the optimum solution is proposed, from both an environmental and economic perspective, and that it has been subjected to cost-effectiveness analysis.

The option of having a large number of smaller waste water treatment plants rather than one large regional plant was considered as part of the GDSDS. The issue was considered again in 2008 when a Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) report on the matter was published. Both the GDSDS and the SEA reports confirm that a regional plant in North Dublin would have a lesser impact than a large number of smaller plants discharging to ground or surface waters across the Greater Dublin Area. I am, therefore, satisfied that through this process the issue of alternative options has been addressed.