Written answers

Tuesday, 19 June 2012

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Water and Sewerage Schemes

8:00 pm

Photo of Joe CareyJoe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 475: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding a sewerage scheme (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29563/12]

Photo of Joe CareyJoe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 476: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding a sewerage scheme (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29564/12]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 475 and 476 together.

The Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in County Clare. Consideration was given, as part of review of this Programme in 2011, to any newly emerging priority contracts and schemes submitted by local authorities for addition to the Programme, in line with the original priorities set out for the Programme for this cycle of investment. As a result of this review, a proposal for works under the Ennis Town Water Augmentation Scheme and the Newmarket-on-Fergus Water Supply Scheme were added to the programme in 2011, as a contract to start and a scheme to advance through planning respectively during the programme period. The Programme now includes contracts under construction and to commence to the value of almost €42 million in County Clare during the period of the Programme.

The Programme prioritises 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 Clare 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 that had been proposed had to give way to others that are more strategically important at this time.

The Broadford and Carrigaholt Sewerage Schemes were not amongst the priority contracts and schemes selected for inclusion in the current Programme. While Clare County Council submitted a proposal to have the Carrigaholt Sewerage Scheme included in the current programme, as part of the review process in 2011, there had been no change in circumstances since 2009 such as to alter the priority attached to the scheme. Consequently it has not been possible to include Carrigaholt Sewerage Scheme in the current Programme.

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