148 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for the Environment when funding will be provided for a new sewerage scheme in Crosshaven, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9058/97]

There are no proposals with my Department for a new sewerage scheme to serve Crosshaven.

149 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for the Environment the applications, if any, he has received from South Dublin County Council for the laying of underground water and sewer pipes from Rathcoole to Saggart to Clondalkin; if so, the proposed costs involved; if he has made a decision on any such applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9059/97]

I approved the preliminary report for the Saggart-Rathcoole-Newcastle drainage scheme last November, and contract documents are expected to be submitted to my Department by the county council later this year. The estimated cost of this scheme is £1.5 million.

There are no proposals in my Department for the laying of new water mains to serve these areas.

150 Mr. R. Burke asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the urgent need to replace the inadequate sewage treatment plant at Swords, County Dublin; his views on whether the only way forward is a regional scheme serving Swords, Portrane-Donabate, Malahide and Portmarnock; and the proposals, if any, he has in this regard, including timescale. [9083/97]

It is the responsibility of local authorities to initiate and formulate proposals in relation to water and sewerage projects. I understand that, following extensive consideration and discussions, Fingal County Council decided that a regional works would not be feasible in this case, due to the difficulty of identifying a suitable site, and that an approach based on extending the existing treatment plants at Swords, Malahide and Donabate-Portrane was preferable. An application for Cohesion Funding was made to the EU Commission last January in respect of these plants but no decision has yet been received.

I understand that consultants will be appointed shortly by the county council to prepare an environmental impact statement for the extension of the Swords plant.

151 Mr. R. Burke asked the Minister for the Environment the current position in relation to the provision of a sewage treatment plant for the towns of Balbriggan and Skerries, County Dublin. [9084/97]

Fingal County Council submitted a preliminary report for this scheme to my Department last September. Preparation of the necessary environmental impact statement has recently commenced and the council expects to publish the statement by the end of this year. Approval of the scheme will be dependent on the outcome of the environmental impact assessment.

An application seeking financial assistance for the project from the Cohesion Fund was made to the European Commission last January.