On Question No. 13, in regard to the Oranmore sewerage scheme, did the Minister's Department give permission for the discharge of untreated sewage at Sallins Point which is adjacent to an oyster bed? Did his Department approve of that scheme? It was designed to be discharged at that point.

My information is that my Department objected to the application initially and that the local authority have accepted the validity of the case put by this Department and are currently examining alternative waste disposal arrangements in that area.

Prior to the design of the scheme were the Department of Fisheries and Forestry consulted by either the Department of the Environment or the local authority, Galway County Council, about approval for the discharge of sewage at Sallins Point in Oranmore? Is the Minister aware that about eight or nine months was spent designing this sewerage scheme to discharge at Sallins Point and that due to local objectors — the Department of Fisheries and Forestry may have come in later — the fact was brought to light that this scheme was at an advanced stage and proposed to discharge into an oyster bed which would have been destroyed by it, and that this was being supported by the Minister's Department and other State agencies?

I am not aware of the support by my Department that the Deputy mentioned. I am not aware of any support being given by my Department to the discharge. I am also not aware of our being made aware at the initial stage of the design of the scheme. The procedure is that where a foreshore licence is being sought by a local authority, at that stage we are consulted and it may very well not come to our notice until that stage.

Ceist 14.

Would the Minister agree that the position that obtains at present where a local authority with the approval of the Department of the Environment can set about designing a scheme — or having one designed by a private consultant as in this case — involving the expenditure of thousands of pounds——

A question.

——of taxpayers' money——

This is in the form of a speech.

Is the Minister aware that this position obtains at present? Would he agree that it is most unsatisfactory that a sewerage scheme be agreed before approval is sought for discharge? Would he agree that a situation similar to this can arise again in the future as in the case of the Oranmore scheme which has to be redesigned? Major changes had to be made in it and much of the expenditure went to waste. The design of an outfall pipe of over a mile was unnecessary——

That is a speech, not a question.

There is an oyster bed. Will the Minister ensure that in future the Department of the Environment and the local authorities will seek approval from his Department before they set about designing these sewerage schemes?

The Deputy knows that I am not responsible to the Department of the Environment. However, I will endeavour to bring to the notice of the Department all that he has raised and see if this area can be tightened up.

In the case of the Oranmore scheme will the Minister give an assurance that it will not discharge into an oyster bed? Is he aware that where it is now proposed to discharge the sewage at a new outfall point oyster beds exist which are known as the Oranmore oyster beds?

Consultations are now taking place about an alternative discharge point and I assume that nobody in my Department would agree to a discharge into an existing oyster bed.

There is an oyster bed at the proposed new outfall.

Discussions have not been concluded on the location of the discharge.

My information is different, that they are deciding on the outfall point.

The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.