Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Coffey asked a question I did not answer. When we decided to do away with the water conservation grant, we needed to make a consequential decision to increase funding for the rural water programme in respect of the capital support programmes that were needed. Effectively, as a result of the decision, the conservation grant was not going to many people in rural areas who would previously have been paying for water anyway. Even though the conservation grant is not being paid because people on the mains systems are not paying water charges, there were many people who would have been receiving a water conservation grant through a group water scheme. To compensate for that, we have agreed with the representative body for group water schemes on what is needed. It is very happy with it.