Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senators Garvey and Byrne for raising this important issue and doing it so well and speaking so eloquently on behalf of the communities they represent. I am very familiar with some of the places listed, as someone from as a neighbouring county in a beautiful part of the country. From the programme for Government point of view, it is vitally important that this is a core element of our town centres first policy. If we are serious about balanced regional development and our smaller towns and villages, water and wastewater infrastructure, along with broadband and Wi-Fi, are critical infrastructure. That is absolutely correct.I wholeheartedly endorse and support the Senators' raising of this issue. It is timely and important. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has had statutory responsibility for all aspects of public water service planning, delivery and operation at the national, regional and local levels. As the Senators will be aware, prior to that the 31 local authorities were responsible and would have had the capability to fulfil that responsibility, were it not for persistent underfunding. As part of budget 2021, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has secured funding of more than €1.4 billion to support water services. This includes €1.3 billion in respect of domestic water services provision by Irish Water. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including in rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area. The programme for Government commits to supporting the take-up of Irish Water's small towns and villages growth programme, which is intended to provide water and wastewater growth capacity in smaller settlements which would not otherwise be provided for in its capital investment plan.

It should also be noted that Irish Water is subject to independent economic regulation by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, which determines the revenue required by Irish Water to meet its efficient operating and capital costs to ensure that it operates in an efficient manner in delivering its services to customers. Therefore, Irish Water put forward to the CRU for consideration proposals for a small towns and villages growth programme as part of its capital investment plan for the period from 2020 to 2024. The programme is intended to support of a number of the national policy objectives and national strategic outcomes under the national planning framework. I understand from Irish Water that an allocation of €97.5 million for this programme was approved by the CRU. I also understand that the design of projects is now commencing and that investment under the programme will begin to deliver in the coming years. Irish Water is working with local authorities across the country to ensure the investment supports the growth of identified settlements where these are prioritised in line with the local authority development plans, which again align and will come on stream in the coming months.

In addition to the major investment delivered by Irish Water, my Department also funds rural water investment under the multi-annual rural water programme. This programme supports investment in community-based group schemes and the improvement of wells and septic tanks. The current investment programme is based on recommendations from the working group established in April 2018 to conduct a review of rural water services.

There is a two-strand approach to the considerations of the working group. The first strand considered the composition and distribution of funding under the rural water programme while the second is considering the long-term future resourcing of the rural water sector more generally. The issue of wastewater infrastructure in villages not serviced by Irish Water is a matter which the working group will consider as part of its work. The Department expects a further report from the group in 2021.

I again acknowledge the Senators for raising this important matter. It is vitally important that we continue to keep it on the agenda. They can be absolutely assured of the Government's commitment to delivering water and wastewater infrastructure for rural Ireland.