Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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229. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the shared waters enhancement and loughs legacy project; the anticipated Covid-19 related delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34558/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Shared Water Enhanced & Loughs Legacy (SWELL) project is a cross border initiative which aims to improve the quality of water in Carlingford Lough and Lough Foyle through the upgrade of wastewater assets on both sides of the border. The SWELL project is funded under the European Regional Development Fund through the allocation of €35m under INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). This figure includes a 15% match funding component provided by both the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage here and by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. It is understood that the Withdrawal Agreement ratified between the EU and the UK in January 2020 provides for the full completion of pre-existing programmes thereby ensuring that projects such as SWELL can be fully completed post-Brexit.

Operational matters relevant to the water services investment programme are a matter for Irish Water which has been given statutory responsibility for the planning, delivery and development of water services since 1 January 2014. In this regard Irish Water has advised that wastewater treatment works under the SWELL project have commenced at the Lifford project site, and are due to commence at the Carrigans and Killea project sites in the near future, while wastewater network upgrade works will commence in Omeath, Co. Louth later this year. Irish Water has further advised that all SWELL project works are expected to be substantially completed by the end of 2021, and that it does not anticipate to encounter delays attributable to Covid-19.