Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 26 October 2023
Public Accounts Committee
Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 4: Accountability of the Central Funding of Local Authorities.
9:30 am
Mr. Graham Doyle:
In 2019, we had €47 million for the rural water programme. It is €68 million in the current year. On the capital side, the available funding has almost doubled. Under the previous programme, there were approximately 700 applications. They have been continuing in terms of trying to get through as many of those projects as possible. The funding has been expanded significantly to launch the new programme, and thereby at least allow new applications be made, but there is still a substantial way to go. I suspect there will be an overlap with the existing programme. However, that has not stopped those projects that are on hand being run through the programme.