Environmment, Community & Local Government: Capital Investment in Domestic Water Supplies 15th July 2013

Question No.     165, 166 and 167
 
 
Chun an Aire Comhshaoil, Pobail agus Rialtais Áitiúil:
To the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government:                            
 
 
To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he and or his Department had identified the full extent of capital investment required to augment/upgrade and or otherwise improve the sourcing, transmission and storage of domestic water supplies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
 
 
 
To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total capital investment in the augmentation of drinking water supplies in each of the past five years to date; when he expects the existing faulty pipe systems to be replaced; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
 
 
 
To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total investment in waste water management in each of the past five years to date; the expected expenditure in this area over the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Bernard J. Durkan.
 
 
 
For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 11th July, 2013.
 
Ref No s : 34109/13 , 34110/13 and 34111/13            
 
REPLY
 
Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Mr. P. Hogan)
 
 
I propose to take Questions Nos. 165, 166 and 167 together,
 
The overall strategy of investment in water services is to ensure that the timing and scale of investment facilitates economic and other development, achieves compliance with statutory requirements and promotes environmental sustainability objectives. The main vehicle for achieving these objectives for public domestic water supplies is the multi-annual Water Services Investment Programme.
 
The current Programme, which runs to the end of 2013, provides for the commencement of contracts with a value of over €800m in relation to water supply infrastructure. This includes contracts to address deficiencies in the quality of supply, to improve the overall capacity of the system and an accelerated programme of mains rehabilitation. The programme also provides for the commencement of contracts with a value of about €1 billion in relation to waste water infrastructure.
 
A breakdown of expenditure over the past 5 years is set out in the table below.
Year  Water  Water Con servation  Waste     water
       Total WSIP Spend
   €m  €m  €m  €m
         
2008  121  31  239  391
         
2009  130  27  255  412
         
2010  85  38  284  407
         
2011  92  38  220  350
         
2012  78  39  151  268
         

Responsibility for the provision of water services will pass to Irish Water at the end of the year. Insofar as future capital investment is concerned, it is envisaged that in developing investment plans for public water services, Irish Water will take account of the requirements flowing from the programmes of measures in River Basin Management Plans, and the need to support economic and regional development. Irish Water is engaged with the Department, and the Water Services Transition Office established by the County and City Managers’ Association, in planning the transition of the current water services capital programme, as well as looking at longer-term strategic planning for the sector and developing an appropriate asset management plan. Irish water will continue to prepare over the coming months to assume statutory responsibility for the delivery of the public water services capital programme from 1 January 2014.