Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the different measures and allocation of funding based on the local authorities' needs within specific regional areas, Mayo really concerns connection for domestic water use. I know the supports that are in place under improvements, refurbishment of private wells, etc., but it is critical that we start identifying the group water schemes that need to be connected to the public water supplies. There was a major issue regarding connection in Murrisk outside Westport. I would like some feedback on where this is in terms of funding and where works can commence. A number of communities in north Mayo - Carrowteigue, Sraith an tSeagail, Portacloy, Porturlin, Keenagh and Letterbrick - are all crying out for funding. The biggest challenge they face is that when they submit their application for funding to the local authorities, the cost of domestic connection per household is too high. We need to remove the roadblocks here.

I know a working group was established in 2018 around the multiannual rural water programme and there were a number of recommendations that built into the 2019-21 programme but where do we move in 2021 and the next three-year cycle? People on the ground are receiving letters from the local authorities. One stated that the 2019-21 multiannual rural water programme allocation from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage had been received in October 2019 but the proposed community water connection did not receive any funding allocation and that the expert panel that assessed all of the multiannual rural water programme submissions considered that the unit cost was too expensive. These people are dealing with condemned water that they cannot drink. Their heating system cannot reach the required temperature. It is clogged with bog. If the Department has not visited some of these households, it would be a very good lesson for it to see the challenges they must face.