THE EU Commission yesterday announced grants to Ireland worth some £30 million from the Cohesion Fund.
The funding will provide 85 per cent of the cost of three major projects: stage 2 of the Clonmel Main Drainage scheme, stage 2 of the Tuam Regional Water Supply Scheme, and the Dublin Port South Quays Container Terminal.
The container terminal will expand a multi user facility servicing a range of shipping lines. The funding £1.4 million from the EU will allow the existing berth to be deepened and handling equipment to be modernised.
The aim is to expand the capacity of the port to allow a direct service with North America and create the potential for the port to become a trans shipment centre between there and mainland Europe.
The EU is contributing £10.7 million to complete a treatment plant for sewage and industrial effluent which is currently being discharged untreated into the Suir.
The Commission is providing £18 million to help bring water from Lough Corrib to Tuam which is currently inadequately supplied from springs and ground water sources.
