Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I know that Deputy Crowe has been pushing this very hard and has been very supportive, as many others have, of this scheme. It is new. I announced €50 million for it in 2022. Effectively, we asked local authorities to apply to me in respect of schemes that would not have been brought forward under the Uisce Éireann capital programme.

In April 2022 I announced a new funding measure, as an advance stage of the upcoming multi-annual programme for the wastewater collection and treatment needs of villages and settlements. We have allocated funding of €50 million. The first round of funding is intended to follow a demonstration project model approach to inform future funding needs. This is therefore a pilot. I intend to make announcements very shortly in that regard.

An independent expert panel has evaluated each application received. Fundamentally, the panel has made that report to me. I have assessed it. I will make further suggestions to the panel report because I believe we have an opportunity. It should not be down to a pure value-for-money basis; it should be on the basis of what I mentioned to Deputy O'Sullivan. First is the upgrading of existing infrastructure or the installation of infrastructure that is not there and looking at the future growth potential. I visited Broadford with the Deputy and other Oireachtas colleagues. I listened to residents there. Broadford has the potential to grow and for people to live in the village and its confines if we are able to provide wastewater infrastructure. We did have a couple of applications in from Clare County Council, which engaged very well with this scheme. I expect to make announcements on this very shortly.

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