Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael)
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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.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge the Minister of State's considerable engagement and work on many rural issues, including water and pyrite. I welcome his statement with regard to the Kilmurray group water scheme. Given that the three-year multi-annual programme for 2019 to 2021 has been given the green light, I assume the scheme will be funded, which would be welcome.

The Minister of State said he is committed to funding water services in rural areas. People have been drilling wells in the Downpatrick and Furmoyle areas. They cannot supply water through their own efforts. It is not enough to say providing water is too expensive. Are these people not entitled to water? What will be done? I understand there is a possibility the council may revise its proposal for a water scheme in Downpatrick. It should be borne in mind that much of the expense arises from the type of terrain through which pipework has to be laid. It would have to go through special areas of conservation and rocky areas. The Minister of State knows about dispersed populations. Many people in these areas have drilled wells which are no good. Something has to be done.

This request to the Government is the last recourse for people in Downpatrick Head and Furmoyle. They have tried everything else. Can they be helped? Perhaps the Minister of State is not aware that Downpatrick Head is one of the signature points on the Wild Atlantic Way. The areas does not even a public toilet because it has no running water, public mains supply or any sort of group water mains supply. That is definitely not something of which we should be proud in this day and age. One cluster of houses in the area has water. Accepting what the Minister of State said, I ask that this matter be revisited. We know that the unit cost of providing a mains water supply will be high. This is the problem the people of the area have been facing all along. Telling them that again does not help matters.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I will raise the Senator's point with the expert group and ask that it focus on the terrain issue. Mayo County Council, in its application under the next round of funding, should make set out in detail the reasons the scheme is so important. I am sure it did so in its previous application, but it may need to add to that and provide more evidence. The expert group will make recommendations on behalf of the Department. There is competition for resources in every county. Schemes that are needed, represent good value for taxpayers' money and meet all the criteria will receive approval. It is very important that a book of evidence accompanies the application.

The Senator made a very good point on the benefits of the Wild Atlantic Way and the importance of it being well serviced with proper infrastructure in respect of toilet facilities and so on. The local authority can add that to the case it makes. We have all seen the success of the Wild Atlantic Way and the numbers of tourists it brings to many counties. I have visited County Mayo frequently and the Wild Atlantic Way is clearly of great benefit to the local population and tourists. We should try to support it. A cross-Department approach could aid with costs and may be something we should pursue. The local authority can gather the evidence and make a case for extra planning. We can look at all the options.

The Senator mentioned the work being done on pyrite and mica. While I had an opportunity to meet residents in Donegal in July, I have not had a chance to meet residents in Mayo again. The work being done by the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, in respect of standard protocol and procedures is now nearly complete. I made it very clear that as soon as its work is complete, we will be in a position to judge how to proceed. I also made clear to residents in Donegal that once the work in the Department on the legalities involved and other matters has been done, we will be in a strong position to move on. I hope that will be possible in the next couple of weeks.