Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

What the Senator is now saying flies in the face of his earlier claim that rural communities have not been assisted by the State in improving their water quality. Some €500 million has been invested in the last ten years and group water and sewerage schemes continue to receive an annual subsidy from the State. There is currently an anomaly whereby group water schemes receive grant assistance of €2,000 per household, in my area, while the corresponding figure for group sewerage schemes is €6,000. We may consider rebalancing that for a period in order to help people in ribbon development areas to come together and have one communal tank. That would deal with those exceptional cases where there are problems. It is a reasonable approach and I am prepared to consider it.