The Minister of State for the Department of the Environment, Tony Killeen, has announced details of its spending plans on new water and sewage infrastructure for Co Clare.

Speaking after the launch of the Water Services Investment Programme 2007–2009, the Minister said: “The Programme maintains the momentum to improve water and sewerage services in the county and affirms the continuing availability of substantial funding from my Department to do the job.

“The investment package of €236 million for Clare presents an ideal opportunity to strengthen the local infrastructure so as to facilitate further economic development in Clare and to protect our natural resources.”

The Water Services Investment Programme 2007–09 allocates funding for some 25 water and sewerage schemes in Clare.

The €236 million package includes funding for most of the County’s main towns, including Ennis, which will be getting both new water and wastewater treatment plant, and many smaller towns and villages.

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In addition to the water schemes already underway in Ennis, Ballyvaughan and Newmarket-and-Fergus, the Programme includes ten other water and sewerage schemes to commence construction in 2008 and schemes under the Rural Towns and Villages Initiative. The Programme also features schemes to provide sites for housing under the Serviced Land Initiative at Clarecastle, Clonlara, Inagh and Tulla.

Major improvements are also planned for the water supply schemes serving parts of the West and North of the County with the West Clare scheme due to start within the next few months. There is to be a major upgrade of the Castlelake Water scheme, which currently serves Shannon, and for which pipes are being laid to bring a connection to Ennis.

Mr Killeen said: “This planned investment of €236 million represents an ambitious programme of works for Clare and reflects the determination of the Government and Clare County Council to ensure that the necessary water services infrastructure will be in place to support continuing economic growth in the county in the years ahead.”

The Minister also welcomed the more streamlined project approval system now in place to speed individual schemes. Once a local authority receives preliminary sanction from the Department schemes costing up to five million euro can now proceed to construction without any further clearance from the Department.

The Minister concluded: “The procedures will benefit many of the approved schemes in Clare, which will significantly reduce delays and enable the local authority to press ahead with the provision of much needed infrastructure.

“Under the new Programme, a very large number of towns and villages in County Clare are directly benefiting from the Government’s commitment to fund necessary infrastructure to allow the County to project itself as a good location to invest, to create jobs and to live, work and holiday.”

(LC)