Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I warmly welcome last week's announcement of a block grant of €3.5 million to Mayo County Council under the multi-annual rural water programme. However, I am very disappointed that under measure 3, which makes specific provision for the funding of new rural group water schemes, we only got €25,000. I am also very disappointed that we are three quarters of the way through 2018 and Mayo County Council is only at this juncture being told what it can spend for 2018.

Under measure 3 Mayo County Council was given €25,000 for the Kilmurray group water scheme. The scheme needs €754,000 to get under way and be delivered. This is a saga that goes back to 2010 when Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais, CLÁR, was abolished and people in Kilmurray had already done tremendous work in conjunction with the county council to bring forward a group water scheme. They had gone to the tender process and had spent almost €40,000 on consultants and to this day those people are out of pocket. They have not been refunded their money. They have been keeping a company going, paying fees to the Company Registration Office. These people are all volunteers. People in Downpatrick and Furmoyle are also waiting for water.

We are talking about something that people living in towns and cities take for granted so much that they do not feel they should have to pay for it. These people were more than willing to pay for their water. I estimate that approximately 200 households in rural Mayo are affected. There is also a problem in Galway. There have been national monitoring committees and engagement with the National Federation of Group Water Schemes to find a formula because people were told that under the formula applied, not enough money is given per household to deliver a scheme. We were told to go back to the drawing board and find a new formula to fund rural water. In 2016, the then Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, announced a three-year multi-annual programme starting then and running to 2018. Guess what? These three areas are still waiting. I acknowledge that Tonacrick, Killeen, Aghaloonteen and Massbrook have been dealt with. There are a couple of handfuls of houses in these areas. People are rightly cheesed off. They are out of pocket. They feel as though nobody has listened.

There is no parity of esteem between people living in rural Ireland and those in the cities and the towns. That is all I am asking for and I do not think it is reasonable or acceptable that three quarters of the way through the year, they are getting €25,000 for Kilmurray alone when €1.5 million is required. What will Kilmurray do with that funding? How can a council spend €25,000 at this time of year? It is ridiculous. Will the Minister of State go back to the officials in the Department and ask them to take the provision of new groups water schemes seriously?

I am not talking about clapped out water schemes that need to be upgraded. Elderly people and young families living in rural areas are drilling wells. They cannot drink the water or wash their clothes in it. Nobody would like to live like that yet that is how this group is living. There have been massive protests against water charges and there are people who did not engage in those who are prepared to pay for water. I am a public representative in the Government party and I do not think this is acceptable for 200 households in Mayo. Will somebody listen? Will the Minister of State listen today? Can some good news be given to these people? We are at the end of the three-year, multi-annual programme that the former Minister, Deputy Howlin, announced and where are we for these three groups? We are nowhere. This is not a countrywide problem but it is a problem that affects people in rural Ireland. I ask the Minister of State to please take it seriously.