Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 1168: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to increase the group waste water scheme grant system in relation to individual houses within such a scheme as operated by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21080/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is funding a pilot programme, proposed by the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee, to test a range of new, small-scale wastewater collection and treatment systems under Irish conditions. The objective of the pilot programme is to evaluate new approaches to meeting the wastewater collection and treatment needs of rural communities and to examine the potential role for group sewerage schemes in extending collection systems to households outside the catchment of new or existing sewerage networks.

Construction of the pilot projects is now substantially complete with commissioning expected in October. Monitoring of the performance of the new infrastructure by the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee will commence immediately after that. The Committee has been asked to report to me on results as they become available.

I intend to review the grants for group sewerage schemes in light of the outcome of the pilot programme.