Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Michelle Mulherin for raising this matter, which she has raised many times in recent years with me, the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and the Department. She has constantly pushed to have money spent on water and sewerage schemes in County Mayo. This is very important work and I hope last week's announcements and further announcements in the weeks ahead will deliver the funding needed to realise these schemes. I know from speaking to the Senator and many others that the provision of water services for the people of County Mayo, particularly those in rural areas, is an issue of keen interest. I assure the Senator and the House that the Government shares this strong interest. The Minister strongly believes in finding the appropriate resources for rural water schemes. We want to ensure that the people of rural Ireland are supported in accessing good quality water and wastewater services. This applies to the people of Mayo and every other county. The Government will continue to back up its intentions in this area with funding.

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the annual rural water services conference organised by the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, which took place in Claremorris in Senator Mulherin’s home county. I announced details of the funding being provided by the Government in 2018 under the Department’s multi-annual rural water programme. We have provided €20 million for 2018, which is an increase of €4 million from the €16 million committed in 2017. Last Friday, the Minister announced details of the allocations to individual local authorities and group water schemes for 2018. The multi-annual rural water programme, which runs for the period from 2016 to 2018, consists of six different measures, including funding of new group water schemes under what is known as measure 3. While funding is provided through my Department, the administration and implementation of the rural water programme is the responsibility of local authorities, which work in partnership with group water schemes, and do a great job in that regard. I complimented that partnership over recent years when I spoke at the recent conference.

Progress has been sought on the proposed Downpatrick, Kilmurray and Furmoyle group water schemes for many years. I have no doubt there is a long history with the schemes. In 2018, the Kilmurray group water scheme received an allocation of €25,000 under the rural water programme. This was among the allocations announced last week. It will enable the scheme to commence necessary planning and proceed to construction in due course. As the scheme is now approved in the current programme cycle, which ends this year, it should carry forward to the next programme cycle, which is to run from 2019 to 2021. I stress that the Kilmurray scheme has been approved and is now in the system. Funding is available to undertake the necessary construction works that will follow. It is now a matter for the scheme to proceed as quickly as possible. I have no doubt Senator Mulherin will make sure this happens and will drive it on. Funding of €95 million will be available for the next three-year cycle of the scheme. This is a major increase which has been provided under Project 2040. It has been secured to drive success and improvement under the rural water scheme.

With regard to the Downpatrick group water scheme, in January 2016 Mayo County Council included a bid for the scheme. This was also submitted under measure 3 of the programme, which deals with new group water schemes. The proposal was ruled out at the time because it involved connecting a new scheme to the public water network operated by Irish Water. Such works are not within the scope of the programme as it currently stands. A further factor was the unit cost of some €18,750 per house, which was considered very expensive. Subsequent to the 2016 approvals, my Department engaged with Mayo County Council to see if an alternative at reduced cost could be found. However, no satisfactory alternative has been established to a supply off the public mains for the proposed scheme.

The multi-annual rural water programme is being reviewed. Having regard to the outcome of the review and decisions to be taken on measures to be included in the programme from 2019 to 2021, applications will be invited from local authorities in respect of funding for that period. These applications are to be sought later this year and there may be scope, in that context, for a further application to be made in respect of the Downpatrick group water scheme. The Minister ordered the review in April last and it is due to report to him in the next month. It will examine how best to ensure the money is spent in the years ahead to get results. It may make some new suggestions and provide an answer on how to address the issue with the Downpatrick group water scheme.

The Furmoyle group water scheme was also included in the 2016 bids by Mayo County Council for the multi-annual programme at a unit cost of some €22,000 per house. The expert panel assembled by the Department to review the bids concluded that the cost of the proposed scheme was too expensive and did not recommend it for funding. Accordingly, the scheme was not included in the current programme.

I hope this clarifies matters in respect of the group water schemes identified in County Mayo. I assure Senator Michelle Mulherin that the Government and the Department are committed to funding water services in rural areas. There are grant schemes in place for local authorities to make applications for funding for group water schemes. There are also fair processes in place to assess these applications. As I stated, the review will be submitted to the Minister in the next month.

There have been significant increases in funding for rural water services. The Government is committed to these services and has increased to €95 million the allocation for the next round of the programme, which will run from 2019 to 2021. I again thank Senator Mulherin for raising this issue, which she has pursued many times with the Department in the past year.