Works and Engineering Minister Ashfield DeVent has dismissed fresh allegations that Government has not got its priorities right.

Earlier this week former Premier Sir John Swan, writing in , claimed that Government needed to tackle a number of problem areas before it took on the issue of Independence.

At the top of Sir John?s hit list ? a catalogue of issues he believed needed to be fixed to get Bermuda ?back on its feet? ? were housing, the Causeway, the Bermuda International Airport and the Island?s water supply.

But Mr. DeVent this week responded to the comments by saying his Ministry was on top of the concerns highlighted by Sir John.

And at a separate Progressive Labour Party Press conference yesterday, Senator Walter Roban also defended his party?s record on housing, calling it ?priority number one for the PLP Government?.

Mr. DeVent said: ?I appreciate the interest that Sir John has expressed, however I feel it important to inform that public that we are either ahead of schedule or in step with much the issues focused on in Sir John?s observations.?

And he said his Ministry has been keeping the public fully abreast of the movement being made in recent months as it relates to these various projects.

Referriing to housing, Mr. DeVent said his team continued to work hard in this area.

?Since 1998, the Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) has housed close to 400 new families in rental units and since 1998 the Corporation has provided in excess of 400 new mortgages, thereby assisting many Bermudian families in achieving their dreams of home ownership,? he said.

The Minister highlighted the work of the Housing Initiatives Committee and the commission of a private sector entity, the Total Marketing & Communications Group, to conduct an Island wide housing study focusing on the needs of that portion of the community in need of housing that would ideally be serviced by the Government.

?The main goal of the study was to define Bermuda?s housing challenges that have been widely publicised and our subsequent efforts will look to address the broader issues in conjunction with the Sustainable Development Committee and our partnering Government Departments and Agencies,? he said.

The Housing Initiatives Committee has focused its efforts on what he termed, the Ministry?s Five Year Housing Strategy.

Mr. DeVent said their current goal is to devise a plan which articulates the delivery of more than 300 rental units over the next 18 months to two and half years, to address those most impacted by the housing challenges.

?Currently, we are actively engaged in expediting several major projects that will provide the first wave of affordable rental units to the market place,? he said.

He added that two of those projects were Orange Hole and Sandhurst while another BHC project, Anchorage, a 16-unit complex, ?continues to progress steadily towards completion?.

Mr. DeVent said he was awaiting the Department of Planning?s decision on the Mary Victoria and Alexandria Roads housing project which he said would provide an additional 20 housing units for those in need.

Sen. Robain echoed the Minister?s remarks. He praised the work of the Government?s Housing Programme and Housing Strategy, and highlighted the Bermuda Housing Trust?s recently-announced proposal to develop 100 units of housing for seniors in the Rockaway area.

?The needs of our seniors are at the top of the Social Agenda and the Government has already pledged to support the BHT programme in any way possible,? he said.

?The PLP has repeatedly taken bold and courageous steps to address Bermuda?s challenges. Housing continues to be one of these.?

As far as the incinerator is concerned, Mr. DeVent said its upgrading is already in progress and he anticipates starting construction on this facility by the end of the year.

Mr. DeVent said a contract for the feasibility study, design and tender documents for the steam three addition to the incinerator will be awarded to a engineering consulting team with in the next few weeks and construction is scheduled to begin in 2007.

Referring to the Causeway was concerned, Mr. DeVent said: ?A team of consultants has been feverishly working on a functional study for the upgrading/replacement of the existing Harbour Castle Causeway since June of this year.?

He said a recommendation for the upgrading and/or replacement of this facility is expected in March 2006 and there will be a public consultation process regarding this project in the upcoming months.

Meanwhile, work on the first phase of the Cahow Way/Bermuda International Airport Protection project is imminent and the boulders for this project have already arrived in Bermuda in anticipation of the work, he added.

Mr. DeVent said the first phase is expected to be completed by the end of April 2006 and the second and final phase of this project will commence in the spring of 2006 and completed before the 2006 hurricane season.

?The public has been provided with a number of updates on the state of the Ministry?s water initiatives,? he continued.

He added that work on the former ZBM/Robinson?s Bay Park site continues to progress and this new trucker water outlet will be operational by the end of the year.

?Repairs on our reservoirs continue with Prospect Number 2 scheduled to be completed in the next few weeks and the Quarry reservoir scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

?Prospect Number 3 will also be back in service next year to compliment the new Sea Water RO Plant scheduled for completion in 2007.?

He added that improvements to the distribution system are also in the works and the Ministry?s Water Section is planning to undertake a 25-year master plan next year which will identify the system improvements and conservation strategies that will be needed to meet the water needs of Bermuda for the future.