Vol. 432 No. 7
6 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for the Environment the number of applications currently with his Department awaiting sanction for new sewage treatment works and upgrading of sewage treatment works; the counties involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
My Department will at any time, have a large number of proposals for sewerage schemes before it; these vary considerably according to stage of planning, size, and priority status with the local authority concerned. As it would entail a disproportionate commitment of staff time and resources to compile a complete inventory of these proposals, I do not have the exact information sought by the Deputy.
Precise information is, however, available for sewerage schemes forming part of relevant EC approved operational programmes. It was a policy objective, in the context of these programmes, to increase the share of investment on sewerage schemes relative to water projects, and this has been done.
Under the Operational Programme for Water, Sanitary and other Local Services 1989-1993, some 47 sewerage schemes had been completed by end-1992 and a further 12 schemes were under construction. Under the Community Initiative ENVIREG, which was approved in 1991 and is directed at coastal sewage treatment except in major urban areas, two projects have been completed and a further 11 are under planning or construction. The INTERREG programme has seen the completion of two schemes with a further five under planning or construction.
Given the ongoing and widespread need for sewerage schemes throughout the country and the demanding requirements of the EC Directive on Urban Waste Water Treatment, major investment in sewerage services is set to continue. Some £80 million is being devoted to sewerage schemes in 1993. This is by far the highest annual allocation ever made to these services and includes some 28 schemes to be supported by the Cohesion Fund.
The environment action programme provided that substantial investment would be devoted to water and sanitary services during this decade. The Programme for a Partnership Government undertakes to build on and speed up implementation of this programme. These commitments will be met by the ambitious works programmes referred to and by a continuing substantial provision for water and sanitary services under the forthcoming National Development Plan.
I asked the Minister the number of schemes awaiting approval and he did not give that information. I did not ask the Minister how many schemes were completed. The reason I asked the number of schemes awaiting approval is that I am aware, as I am sure is the Minister, that there is a serious backlog in his Department. Does the Minister accept this is the position? As a result of that serious backlog the Minister has failed to give the number of schemes awaiting approval which would be an embarrassment to him and his Department. There is a serious pollution problem in the many towns and villages in respect of which local authorities have submitted schemes to the Minister's Department and are awaiting sanction.
Newbliss, Rockcorry and Monaghan town in the Deputy's constituency are benefiting from progressive measures which I am undertaking. The resources being provided for sewerage schemes this year is an all time record which is a recognition that there are more schemes being approved. As the Deputy is aware resources are not unlimited. The Fine Gael policy on public expenditure is to cut it and I am not doing that in those areas.
Does the Minister accept that there is a serious pollution problem as a result of the delay in sanctioning those schemes? Is the Minister aware that the stance of local authorities, who are pollution control bodies, is being undermined because they are seen to be polluters? Recently a case taken by a fishery board against a local authority was adjourned in the District Court because the judge wanted to state a case to the Circuit Court on the issue of fault, the local authority or the Department of the Environment?
No Member should try to pretend that there are no problems or that there are unlimited resources to solve all the problems at one time. It is better to say to the taxpayers that the maximum resources available at national and EC level are being used to provide such schemes. Without funds from the EC such schemes would progress at a much slower pace. I am determined in negotiations on the National Development Plan to work towards increasing the resources available for those services. I accept that environmental domestic, industrial, agricultural and other concerns must be addressed. I will not pretend to the public that I can solve all those problems at once. The schemes will have to be phased in and the resources, when available, directed to priority cases. The programme which has been intensified dramatically this year, can be pursued, we hope, as intensively in the next few years.
Will the Minister indicate the average waiting period for a scheme to be sanctioned?
As the Deputy will appreciate there is a huge difference between, for instance, schemes that would require environmental impact assessments, smaller schemes and coastal based schemes. Much attention to detail and technology is now applied to ensure that secondary and tertiary treatment, where that is necessary, takes place. This is a big task and the delay will be as short as possible given the resources available to me. I am not delaying any schemes for which I have the resources.
And where Cabinet Ministers happen to be located might speed it up also.
Ceist a 7. An Teachta Trevor Sargent. Ní fheicim an Teachta. Caithimid dul ar aghaidh go dtí ceist a 8.
