Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Healy-Rae for raising these two important matters, which we will try to address today.

First, I will outline some of the schemes that are available. I appreciate the Deputy has pointed out what the cost might be per household, but it might be helpful to outline what is available. There are a number of grants available, through the local authorities, under the Department’s rural water programme to support householders in carrying out improvement works to their private water supplies.

The amount of grant funding available to households is as follows. There is 85% of the approved costs for a new well, subject to a maximum grant of €5,000, and the Deputy outlined that there are issues with wells in this area in terms of the water quality that is provided. There is 85% of the approved costs for well rehabilitation works, subject to a maximum grant of €3,000. That is if a grant is well in place already. Then there is 100% of the approved costs for works that are necessary to treat the water to meet the water quality standards set out in the drinking water regulations, subject to a maximum grant of €1,000.

There are also nine individual funding measures under the most recent cycle of the multi-annual water programme, which covers the period 2024-26. Each funding measure is directed at a specific activity - for example, source protection, water treatment, network improvements, etc. Two measures are focused on the provision of safe and secure piped water supply to those households currently without such a supply where it is technically and economically viable to do so. Under the programme, these measures are measure A5 and measure A7.

Measure A5 provides funding support for extensions to existing group water schemes and the development of new stand-alone group water schemes. The measure supports the continued expansion of piped water supplies to those parts of the rural population that cannot be served by public water supplies. The grant funding available is 85% of the cost of necessary and approved works, subject to a maximum of €15,000 per household.

Measure A7 provides funding for community water connections. This measure too supports the continued expansion of piped water supplies to those parts of the rural population reliant on private wells that can be served by the public Uisce Éireann water supplies. The funding provided under this measure enables Uisce Éireann to take in charge a network constructed to an appropriate standard. The amount of grant funding available is 85% of the cost of necessary and approved works subject, again, to a maximum of €15,000 per house connected.

My Department is committed to delivering improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public services. In respect of the public water supply aspect raised by the Deputy, Uisce Éireann has confirmed that Lyracrumpane is a scheme that it is currently upgrading. However, Uisce Éireann outlined that it has not received any notifications of any supply issues in this area. In addition, Uisce Éireann confirmed that Knight's Mountain, Knockariddera, is not currently part of any scheme and there are no plans in place to extend to this area. Both Gneevgullia and Castleisland are part of the central regional Lough Guitane supply, where there is ample capacity. Some of Uisce Éireann's team are currently working on replacing 3 km of water mains from the reservoir in Castleisland to the town as part of its mains rehabilitation programme. However, Uisce Éireann is not aware of any pressure issues on the Castleisland supply.

That may contradict some of what the Deputy says about the issues people are facing in the regions of Kerry he talks about in terms of supply issues and the cost per house. I agree with what he said in his opening statements: basic running water should be a right of any human being and any household. I will absolutely undertake to take back the issues he has raised today. Clearly, Uisce Éireann says that it has no reports of people raising issues in that area, so I urge anyone in the area to contact Uisce Éireann - there is a helpline they can contact - and report any underlying issues they have. We have in our Department a section that deals directly with Uisce Éireann. I will undertake to raise the issues the Deputy has raised here and ensure that he gets an adequate and proper response, especially if he is saying that households will have to fork out in the region of €45,000. That cannot happen. That is not acceptable.

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