Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raised this matter with the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, last May. At that point we were told the scheme was being reviewed. He said the Department was analysing options on costings and that the work was ongoing. Is the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, telling me now that the review has not started? Could he outline what is the situation with the review? I would have expected that as we are coming into the last year of the scheme that the review would be up and running so that the new scheme would be ready to hit the ground in 2019.

A small number of schemes were in place in recent years. Will councils now have to reapply for the new programme as only six schemes out of 83 were in place for the past three years? Will increased funding be available for schemes so that the grant would be meaningful for smaller housing developments that want to upgrade the plant at the end of their estates which are causing pollution and where there are blockages, hassle and disruption for householders? Such people are on their own as they do not receive support from a local authority or Irish Water. If there was a meaningful grant they could take it into their own hands to repair the damage themselves.

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