Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is welcome to the House. This is an issue that affects many rural communities, but especially those in my county of Clare. There has been underinvestment in wastewater facilities there for decades under all Governments. There are many pockets of County Clare where development is precluded simply because there is not proper wastewater infrastructure. We are in a situation where in Broadford village the planning regulator altered the Clare county development plan and dezoned land because the infrastructure is not there. This scheme is a pilot proposed by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heri back in 2020. Oireachtas Members from County Clare met him in the Custom House in October or November 2020. The Minister suggested he was going to look at devising a pilot scheme. I think the figure mentioned was €50 million. Local authorities were asked to make submissions a long time ago, that is, nearly a year and a half ago, on suitable projects. Clare County Council submitted two, one being for Broadford and the other for Cooraclare. It could have submitted 22, but it submitted two. I raised this as a Commencement matter last December and was told the decision was imminent and would be made in quarter 1 in 2023. By decision, I mean the announcement of which schemes were going to be successful so the councils could proceed to tender, etc.I raised it again in March because quarter 1 was over, and I was told that it would happen before the summer. I raised it again in July but, again, nothing happened. I am now raising it again at almost the end of September. When are we going to get an announcement on this pilot scheme? The children's hospital will be built and will be up and running and we will still be waiting to see if Broadford and Cooraclare in County Clare will get their sewerage schemes. The problem is that people in those villages who have money are ready and willing to build housing and to develop commercial units and put infrastructure into the villages. We are all about supporting rural Ireland and encouraging people to relocate there, yet this scheme has been talked about, discussed, debated and promised for nearly three years. At this stage I want answers as to when exactly we are going to have an announcement on the schemes. I am fully aware that it is not the Department of the Minister of State but I sincerely hope the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has given him the answer.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Conway for raising this important issue. I know the impact and the importance of this type of critical investment in wastewater treatment for the very reasons he has outlined that are important to his communities in Clare relating to the future sustainable development and growth of towns and villages. I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, who unfortunately is not able to be here today.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage builds its water services strategic policy and infrastructure improvement delivery programmes around Project Ireland 2040, the water services policy statement and the river basin management plan.

The Department's multi-annual rural water programme, using Exchequer funding, is delivering improvements to water services, including wastewater, in areas of rural Ireland without public water services. The strategic objective of the multi-annual programme, through its various funding measures, is to improve the quality, reliability and efficiency of water services for rural dwellers where public water services are not available.

In April 2022, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, launched a new scheme for the wastewater collection and treatment needs of villages and settlements without access to public wastewater services. An allocation of €50 million has been committed under the national development plan to fund the scheme.

The principal aim of the scheme is to provide an opportunity for local authorities to take an innovative approach to address environmental and public health issues in locations of need, across the country, on a prioritised basis. The first round of funding is intended to follow a demonstration project model approach that will inform the development of longer-term strategies for the future funding needs of villages and settlements where public water services are not available.

All rural local authorities were asked to submit suitable applications for funding for two priority locations, with the deadline being 15 September 2022, as outlined by Senator Conway. An independent expert panel was tasked with critically evaluating each of the applications received and making recommendations to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, for funding. The panel is independently chaired and membership includes the Environmental Protection Agency and Uisce Éireann. In addition to providing an expert perspective, the panel brings independence, openness and transparency to the bids evaluation process.

I am told that the panel has evaluated all aspects of applications received and, based on a report from the panel, a decision on funding will be made by the Minister shortly. Local authorities will then be notified of the outcome of their applications. Unfortunately, I am not able to give Senator Conway a specific timeline, but the panel has evaluated all aspects of applications received and its report will form the basis of the Minister's decision on funding. We are told it will happen shortly.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, very much. I know he is only delivering the message on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. Reading between the lines, it is quite worrying because the expert panel that was appointed, which has evaluated all of the projects, could turn around and recommend that none of the projects should receive funding. What will happen then? Is the Minister going to override the decision and come up with his own justification for providing the funding?

The situation is very serious. I hope the projects go ahead. I have every faith that the Minister wants them to happen. Unfortunately, the people of Broadford and Cooraclare have had a lot of false dawns at this stage. I sincerely hope the dawn is not going to turn into dusk and that instead we see sunshine because the people who are ready to build houses in those communities are not going to hang around for ever. I appreciate the reply. I do not think there is much the Minister of State can add to it. I sincerely hope I am not raising this again in six months' time. If the evaluation and decision have been made by the evaluation committee, there is no reason it cannot be published.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I again thank Senator Conway. To allay the concern he raises that the expert panel could perhaps say that nowhere needs the scheme, we all know of places all over Ireland - I have them in my constituency of Kildare - that need this level of investment. I take heart from the line in the original response which talks about taking a demonstration project model approach. I do not think there is any risk of the expert panel not making a recommendation on areas. It will be about prioritisation based on set criteria but ultimately the project model will be able to deliver. Not only will the selected projects that are chosen in the first phase be very important for those communities but lessons will be learnt on how they are delivered. The rural water programme provides funding to support and improve the water services in areas of rural Ireland where public water services are not available. This is a critical role for us to get right in terms of our water quality, people's quality of life and future balanced regional development around the country. I have no doubt the decision will be made shortly in the best interests of everyone involved.