Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I assume that we are discussing not only water provision by group schemes but also public water provision. I salute the pioneers who put the rural water schemes in place between the 1960s and 1980s. They were great volunteers and this was the most radical improvement in people's lifestyles after rural electrification. Those people followed the spirit of the co-operative movement inspired by Horace Plunkett. The challenge for community activists now is to provide broadband in rural areas.

There are at least 45,000 families connected to a group scheme with a private source — although the Minister of State cited up to 50,000. Ireland must achieve good water status by 2015 as set out in the Water Framework Directive. Section 4(1) of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 contains our phosphorus regulations.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency's recent report, 70.2% of Irish rivers have a satisfactory water quality and the level of serious pollution continues to be low; 83.8% of our lakes have a satisfactory water quality — although some people put that figure as high as 90%.

Senator Wilson must share my pride in Lough Sheelin in our area, County Cavan, which is one of the best brown trout angling lakes in Europe. A local monitoring committee, set up under the auspices of the county council with community involvement, including farmers, has brought it to a high standard. I hope that bit of parochialism is allowed in the midst of a national debate.

There is an increasing trend in the number of ground water samples showing zero contamination which is good news. To meet EU water standards we must use proper filtration systems against continuing threats. We need to protect our water supply proactively by minimising the risk of contamination of supplies caused by runs from septic tanks, slurry pits and all industrial and local authority outlets. There should be a faster reaction time when problems occur. People should not have to boil drinking water for any length of time.

City and county councils are responsible for the provision of water services and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has an overall policy and funding role. County councils provide direct grant aid for rural water schemes which is implemented in partnership with national and local monitoring committees. This partnership model of delivery, combining the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, rural organisations, local authorities and the Department is important because it gives people a sense of ownership. In my county, 35% of the population depends on group schemes. From the beginning through the good auspices and fine initiatives of Cavan County Council we have pioneered an inclusive decision-making process, integrating the various sectors on the local county monitoring committee.

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, of a special package of €5.8 million for water schemes which were at risk of pollution by e-coli and cryptosporidium. Farmers are making an input under the nitrates directive to which it is difficult to adhere but farm waste management grants help them to meet that responsibility. People can never underestimate the loyalty of farmers to their communities and their commitment to the environment. There has been a mistaken assumption that farmers would be less than proactive in protecting the environment but nobody has a greater vested interest in it. I welcome the fact that the Minister has set up a specialist group in his Department to work with the Environmental Protection Agency and local authorities in identifying vulnerable supplies and dealing actively with them.

Each county must provide a strategic rural water plan which feeds into the national monitoring committee. Local authorities are expected to supervise the provision of good quality water but they do not receive the proper resources from central government for that role which adversely affects their finances.

The thrust of planning policy is to acknowledge the one-off house but also to develop small towns and villages. However, there is a cap of €10,000 in grant aid per house, in a new development, towards the provision of water and sewerage services which has serious implications for planning and development in rural areas. For example, if a village were to extend by 20 houses, a new public water supply would cost approximately €800,000 and maybe more for a sewerage scheme. If only €10,000 per house is available in grant aid the local authority would realise only €200,000, leaving a shortfall of €600,000 to be raised through development charges and local taxation or by way of a punitive tax on the householders which they could not pay. This will thwart the development of small towns and villages and threatens proper planning. It is at variance with a policy that seeks to limit one-off rural dwellings and encourage the expansion of towns and villages. County managers and officials have been lobbying the Department to amend this policy. Ordinary people cannot take the brunt of this and absorb the greater charges. The Government will have to properly fund this area and provide water to small towns and villages. I would like a specific response on this point.