Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 344: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the source of funding for group water schemes, if same is his Department, the local authority or other; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17439/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides annual block grant allocations to local authorities under its Rural Water Programme, which includes group water schemes. Under the programme, grants of 100% of the costs of certain works on group water schemes are covered by my Department while grants of up to 85% of the costs, subject to a maximum grant of €6,475.66 per house or €7,475.66 per house as the case may be, are available for other works on such schemes.

Responsibility for the administration of the programme has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. Details of the particular grant that may apply in any particular case may, therefore, be sought from the local authorities. In addition, the selection and approval of individual schemes for advancement and funding under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant allocations provided, is a matter for the local authorities.