John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 371 and 372 together.

Substantial funding towards local authorities' water conservation programmes, including the replacement of old pipework in the public network, is provided under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme. It is open to each authority to prioritise any necessary pipe replacement in its own area from their grant allocation. Galway City Council has written to my Department regarding grant assistance to householders and inquiring if the Council would be permitted to use €1 million from the Council's water conservation allocation for a grant scheme to replace lead pipes in the domestic household network. Water services legislation provides that the owner of a premises is responsible for ensuring that the internal water distribution system is capable of delivering drinking water that complies with drinking water standards. My Department's Water Services Investment Programme does not extend to funding or providing grants for replacement of individual service connections or other measures relating to single households or premises. This is similar to the provision of an electricity supply to a house where the internal wiring is the responsibility of the owner or occupants, not the supplier. Carefully focused prioritisation under other grant schemes, namely the Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grants and the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, may facilitate necessary grant assistance being provided in appropriate cases. It is a matter for individual local authorities, including Galway City Council in this case, to determine what works, including the replacement of lead supply pipes, are eligible and to prioritise these in line with their systems of prioritisation.