Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will increase the grant aid available for group sewerage schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27924/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is funding a pilot programme, proposed by the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee, to test a range of new, small-scale waste water collection and treatment systems under Irish conditions. The objective of the pilot programme is to evaluate new approaches to meeting the waste water 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.

The pilot projects are now complete and undergoing commissioning. Monitoring of the performance of the new infrastructure by the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee has commenced and 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.