andMr. Faulkner asked the Minister for the Environment when the contract documents for Ardee sewerage scheme, County Louth, will be approved.

The approval of this scheme must be considered in the context of the overall capital resources available to finance sanitary services and the need to provide adequate finance for schemes in progress or getting to construction including Cooley regional water scheme and Tullyallen sewerage scheme. I cannot at present say when I will be in a position to convey a decision to Louth County Council on the contract documents for the Ardee sewerage scheme.

Is the Minister aware of the importance of this scheme, which includes treatment works? This scheme should be put in hands at once because on its completion it will be possible to get ahead with the Dunleer regional scheme, the source for which is the Dee, and the Dunleer regional scheme will then supply Clogherhead, Termonfeckin, Baltray and the area between the coast and the Meath border side of the Dee. In these circumstances and considering what I have said about the vital importance of this, will the Minister make every effort to make finance available to proceed with the scheme? As I have pointed out, it is not just the scheme itself that is so important but the results that will accrue from it.

I am aware of the implications which the scheme has and I assure the Deputy that as soon as I am in a position to make an assessment of all these schemes, a decision will be made.