Broadford sewerage scheme not a priority – Gormley

YEARS of campaigning to fast track the Broadford Sewerage Scheme received a major setback this week after

Environment Minister John Gormley confirmed the project is not considered a major priority in the Government’s investment programme for the upgrading of water and sewerage facilities throughout the county.
The Department of the Environment has approved contracts to the value of €38 million under the 2010-2012 Water Services Investment Programme.
Minister Gormley explained in response to a Dáil question tabled by Deputy Pat Breen, that the aim of the new programme is to prioritise projects that target environmental compliance issues and support economic and employment growth as envisaged in the Government’s policy document Building Ireland’s Smart Economy – A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal .
“A key input to the development of the programme was the assessment of needs prepared by local authorities, including Clare County Council, in response to my department’s request to the authorities in 2009 to review and prioritise their proposals for new capital works in their areas.
“These were subsequently appraised in the department in the context of the funds available and key criteria that complemented those used by the authorities. Inevitably, through this process, certain projects that had been proposed had to give way to others that are more strategically important at this time,” he said.
Deputy Breen questioned the Government’s failure to include the Broadford Sewerage Scheme in the Water Services Programme.
“I am very concerned and cannot understand why the Broadford Sewerage Scheme is not included amongst the priority contracts and schemes for the Water Services Programme.
“How Broadford’s needs assessment for a sewerage scheme is not considered priority is very difficult to understand. The village has been crying out for this much-needed infrastructure for years.
“Back in February when I raised this matter with Minister Gormley he advised his department had requested Clare County Council, to submit applications by March 3 setting out their borrowing requirements to progress their water services projects in 2010.
“ I understood the council had sought a loan approval from the department to progress the Broadford Scheme but now it appears that Broadford, like Cooraclare, has been consigned to the bottom of the pile. This is not good enough,” he added.