This article is from page 2 of the 2007-09-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
FUNDING of more than €2.3 mil- lion has been announced for Clare water and sewerage schemes by En- vironment, Heritage and Local Gov- ernment Minister, John Gormley.
The allocations are part of a €5.8 billion spending plan on new water supply and waste water infrastruc- ture. The Water Services Investment Programme includes 955 individual schemes to be advanced over the period of the National Development Plan and beyond.
The programme sets out specific targets for construction up to the end of 2009 and is coupled with a series of other measures, including
a special package to target supplies at risk from cryptosporidium and e.coli, new measures aimed at 1m- proving water conservation, new en- forcement powers to prosecute those who fail to protect water resources or cause water pollution and plans for enhanced protection of rivers, lakes ANNO Men AUT-V Loh
Among the sewerage schemes which are getting funding to start in 2008 are Ballyvaughan, Corofin and Doolin, Carrigaholt/Labasheeda, Cooraclare, Ennistymon, Liscannor, Miltown Malbay and Spanish Point, Kilkee and Kilrush, O’Callaghan’s Mills, Bodyke, O’Brien’s Bridge, Flagmount and Cratloe, Quilty, Scar- iff and Feakle, and Shannon Town.
Money has also been allocated to start the west Clare regional water supply scheme.
Ennis town water supply also has funding for 2007, along with the sup- ply schemes for Lisdoonvarna and Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Funding has been put up for water and sewerage schemes to advance through planning in Castlelake, Kil- fenora, Killaloe, north Clare and south east Clare.
Down for funding to start in 2009 is a sewerage scheme for Ennis/Clare- castle. There is €2 million in the pot for water conservation schemes in the county.
In all, there will be €236,149 in- vested in various schemes and initia-
tives in Clare.
“Ensuring there 1s clean water, not only in our taps but also in our rivers, lakes and estuaries is a priority for me in Government,’ Minister Gorm- ley said.
“Water 1s possibly our most pre- cious resource. Its protection is an essential element in ensuring a sus- tainable Ireland,” he added.
The Minister said that it is “our aim to bring about a situation whereby all of our public drinking water supplies comply with European standards and that all of our lakes and rivers are of good water quality.
“This is a considerable challenge, one which I believe can, and must, be achieved.”