This article is from page 6 of the 2006-02-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
Minister for the Environment and Local Government Dick Roche has promised to sit down with Clare County Council to “break any log jams”, in the implementation of the county’s long awaited water and sewerage schemes.
During a visit to Ennis on Friday, the minister asked the council officials to carry out an examination to establish “how they will bring schemes back within the financial parameters” set by the department.
He vowed to be flexible in dealing with the ongoing problems with water and sewerage schemes.
Describing as “nuts” the need for continuous boil notices in a town the size of Ennis, the Minister said that his department would support the interim solution.
“It is an issue I want to see resolved. I understand exactly why it is in the difficulty it is in, but I am interested more in a solution,” he said.
During his visit he also met with councillors and the county manager.
He said he recognised that there were water and sewerage schemes in county Clare in difficulties, which a €200 million water and sewerage programme for the county, could address.
“I said to the county manager that I would be very flexible with that. If there are schemes that are in the 2007 . . . category that can be brought forward I’d be flexible bringing them forward. If there are some that are stuck in 2006 for whatever reason, maybe to do with foreshore licences or whatever else . . . we will be as flexible as we can.
“I want to see the money spent, I want to see the water schemes in, I want to see the boiling notices a thing of the past.”
Meanwhile Clare County Councillor Christy Curtain said that schemes such as that proposed for Mullagh and Quilty, had already completed the whole process and there should be no more delay in getting it started.
Minister Roche approved the contract documents submitted by Clare County Council for the final two elements of the Newmarket on Fergus Water Supply Scheme and for the extension of the Lisdoonvarna Water Supply Scheme to Ballyvaughan.
This will allow the Council to invite tenders for these contracts, with an estimated cost of €5.5 million and €5.6 million respectively.