Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the grant aid available for group sewerage schemes will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36438/06]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Rural Water Programme a grant of up to 75% of costs or €2031 per house which ever is lesser, is available from local authorities for the provision of private sewage collection and disposal facilities through group sewerage schemes.

The National Rural Water Monitoring Committee, are currently undertaking a pilot programme to test a range of new, small-scale wastewater collection and treatment systems under Irish conditions. This programme will evaluate new approaches to meeting the wastewater collection and treatment needs of rural villages and to examine the potential role for group sewerage schemes in extending the collection systems to households outside the catchment of new or existing sewerage schemes. The pilot programme will also test a low cost, low maintenance system to collect, treat and dispose of effluent from existing septic tanks.

Construction of the pilot projects is currently in progress and monitoring of the performance of the new infrastructure by the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee will commence immediately after commissioning takes place. I have asked the Committee to report on results as they become available.

I will review the potential role for group sewerage schemes and the level of any assistance that might be appropriate in the light of the outcome of these pilot projects.