Seanad debates

Wednesday, 10 April 2019

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision

10:30 am

Photo of Seán CanneySeán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter and I am happy to respond on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. The Government is committed to ensuring that the people of rural Ireland are supported in accessing good quality water and wastewater services.

On 8 February 2019, the Minister announced a new investment programme for water services in rural areas - the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2019-2021. Capital funding of €23 million has been provided in 2019, an increase of €3 million from 2018 in the previous programme. On 8 February 2019, local authorities were also invited to submit their bids to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the funding of schemes or projects in their functional areas, with the deadline for receipt of proposals set as 14 March 2019.

I understand that Mayo County Council has included Downpatrick Head in its bid applications to the Department under measure 6 - community connection (water and wastewater) networks - of the multi-annual programme. The Department is currently considering the applications received from local authorities and an expert panel has been put in place to support the evaluation process. In addition to providing an expert perspective, the panel brings independence, openness and transparency to the bid evaluation process, which is undertaken on a national prioritised basis. The expert panel's membership includes departmental, stakeholder and independent representation. The panel will make recommendations to the Department on the suitability of schemes and projects for funding based on objective criteria, which are set out in the framework document. The Department will consider the recommendations of the panel and, based on these, will propose allocations for consideration by the Minister. He expects the process to be completed in the second quarter of 2019.

A proposed Furmoyle group water scheme was included in the bids by the Mayo County Council in 2016, under the previous multi-annual funding cycle, at a unit cost of €22,000 per house.The panel assembled by the Department to review the bid concluded that the cost of the proposed scheme was excessive and did not recommend it for funding. The Department understands from the council that the situation has remained unchanged and the council did not include the proposed Furmoyle scheme in its recent bids under the current funding cycle. I do not have a response with regard to Carramore, which was mentioned by the Senator, but I will ask the Department to come back to her directly.

It is important to note that households that cannot access a group water scheme or a public supply through the Irish Water network have other alternatives to improve their domestic water supply, if necessary. The individual wells grant under the Department's rural water programme can be accessed through the council to assist with the provision or necessary improvement of an individual water supply to households.

Following the review of rural water services put in place by the Minister in 2018, he also announced improvements to the grants available to private well owners in February 2019. These are to take effect from the end of April in a few weeks. The maximum grant for refurbishment works to a domestic well will increase from €2,031 to €3,000. A new and additional provision is included for a maximum grant of €5,000 where a new well is required as an exceptional measure. I hope this clarifies matters regarding the group water schemes identified.

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