John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept what the Deputy is saying. We do not intend to slow people down. The purpose of the six scheme demonstration model that has existed in recent years was to try to come to terms with the level of difficulty and complexity that exists. Each scheme that has a problem is orphaned, as such. That is the term that is often used when a scheme does not already have the involvement of Irish Water or a local authority. Each one has unique circumstances. The purpose of the demonstration model was to see how we could provide a framework to deal with many other such schemes in the future. The significant increase in funding will ensure that more can be dealt with. I reassure Deputy Moynihan that when the initial demonstration process was set up an independent panel made the recommendations on the six schemes that were chosen out of the 83 bids from 17 different local authorities. The background makes for interesting reading in that some local authorities have made many applications while a sizeable number made no application whatsoever.

It is the first league table of local authority applications that County Leitrim has topped. Perhaps that relates to groundwater issues and other soakage and drainage problems in the area. There were 14 applications from County Leitrim and 12 from County Donegal which was in second place. The rest of the local authorities that applied had a very small number of applications. A total of 83 were received. Fifteen local authorities did not apply.

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