asked the Minister for the Environment the up-to-date position regarding the proposed Castlerea/Ballintubber/Kilmurry regional water supply scheme with the source at Longford Springs, Castlerea and Tubbermackee, Ballintubber.

While the documentation for the scheme has been completed, the local authority will not be in a position to proceed further pending acquisition of the necessary land and water rights at the Longford Springs source. Objections have been made to the council's proposals in that regard and a public inquiry was held in Castlerea on 26th October, 1977. I await the result of this inquiry.

Is it the intention of the local authority to issue a compulsory acquisition order here?

The council were unable to secure by agreement the necessary lands adjacent to the source and additional objections were made to their proposal to abstract the water supply from the source. A public inquiry into the council's proposal to acquire the land and abstract the water was held at Castlerea on the 26th October, 1977.

15.

asked the Minister for the Environment when his Department will sanction the proposals submitted by Cork County Council to extend the water supply to Boherbue, Mallow, County Cork.

I cannot as yet say when I will be in a position to sanction this scheme, contract documents for which are under consideration in my Department.

16.

asked the Minister for the Environment if he will consider raising the grants for group water schemes in view of the increased costs of labour and materials.

With the aid of these grants and related arrangements for facilitating group water supply schemes, group scheme domestic installations totalled 6,200 in 1976 and a considerably greater number of supplies will be installed in the current year. The grants are, however, kept under review in the light of all the relevant circumstances.

17.

asked the Minister for the Environment if he will now sanction the sewerage scheme for Templetouhy, Thurles, County Tipperary.

Contract documents for this scheme were received in my Department on 20th October, 1977 and are being examined.

18.

asked the Minister for the Environment when he will sanction the grants for Ballycasey group water scheme, Borrisokane, County Tipperary.

Under a pilot scheme of devolution, Tipperary N.R. County Council have taken over most of the responsibility for the administration of group water supply grants. In the case of the Ballycasey group water scheme, State grants totalling £2,100 were allocated by my Department to the group and payments totalling £1,994 have been made to date. Following the submission of information regarding the farmer participants, arrangements are now being made for the payment of the balance—£106—still outstanding.

19.

asked the Minister for the Environment if he will now sanction the sewerage scheme for Puckane, Nenagh, County Tipperary.

I cannot say at this stage when I will be in a position to convey a decision to the local authority on this scheme, contract documents for which are under consideration in my Department.

The Minister said that both questions are being examined. How soon does he think his recommendation will be finalised on the Puckane scheme especially? Is he aware there is a great need for further development in the area and that it is being impeded because of the non-sanction of this scheme?

It is not possible, in the absence of any priority list from the council, to indicate when it will be sanctioned.

Can the Minister give any indication when he can make a recommendation to the county council?

Most local authorities submit a priority list. There is none for North Tipperary.

How soon can the Minister sanction the scheme?

I cannot say at this stage. It would be helpful if the Deputy's county council had a priority list.

We are helping ourselves. We are asking for the Minister's help as well. We can do nothing without him.

Why do the county council not co-operate?

We are co-operating but unfortunately the Minister is not.

Am I not? The Deputy's county council, unlike most other county councils, will not let us have a priority list.

If the Minister gives us the money we will look after our priority list.

20.

asked the Minister for the Environment when he expects to be in a position to issue approval for the sewerage scheme for Union Hall, County Cork.

Having regard to the necessity to conserve the available capital for the schemes of high priority, I cannot say when I will be in a position to approve of Cork County Council's proposals for this scheme which appears to have been given a low priority by the council.

Can the Minister give me any indication at all, for the benefit of the people of Union Hall, when this scheme will be sanctioned?

It is placed 14 on the priority list by Cork County Council for a start and is not mentioned in their five-year programme, for 1977 to 1981 for water and sewerage schemes. They obviously do not place it very high on the priority list. Perhaps they would revise the list.

Will the Minister not sanction the scheme until such time as the scheme attains a high priority on the local authority list?

This has always been the pattern followed in the Department. Cork County Council have not placed it very high on the priority list for some reason or other.

Am I right in assuming that the Minister will not take any decision unless it is based on a recommendation from the local county council? Am I to understand from what the Minister said that he is unwilling in all cases to exercise his own decision-making powers?

No, it is not what the Deputy should understand.

Can the Minister clarify the point for somebody who is not a member of a county council? At what stage will the Minister take action on his own initiative in regard to this scheme?

In view of the Deputy raising the matter I am prepared to have a further look at it but the fact that it is only 14 on Cork County Council's list is not helpful to me.