Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 533: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the funds that will be allocated in 2012 for new group water schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41234/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides funding towards group water schemes by way of annual block grant allocations to local authorities under the Department's Rural Water Programme.

Responsibility for the administration of this programme has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection and approval of individual group scheme proposals for funding and advancement under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant allocation provided, is therefore a matter for the water services authorities.

The 2012 allocation for the Rural Water Programme is €40 million. My Department requested local authorities last week to submit, by 20 January 2012, their proposals for funding under the Rural Water Programme in 2012. Decisions on the funding to be provided to local authorities for both existing and new group water schemes, having regard to the proposals submitted, will be made as soon as possible following receipt of the responses.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 534: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his policy in relation to ensuring that every house in the State has access to piped water either from a public water supply or a group scheme; the steps he will take to ensure that this happens and the priority he attaches to this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41235/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The provision of water and sewerage services is the responsibility of the 34 City and County Councils which are designated as water services authorities under the Water Services Act 2007. The Act allows for the direct provision of water and wastewater treatment services by a water services authority in an area where there is a population or economic activities that are sufficiently concentrated. A water services authority therefore has to take account of the economic cost in determining where it will directly undertake the provision of water and wastewater treatment services.

In accordance with the 2007 Act, my role as the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in relation to water services is to facilitate the provision of safe and efficient water services and associated water services infrastructure, with responsibility for supervision of the performance by water services authorities of their functions in the water services sector. My Department's role is in developing and implementing Government policy in this area, making sure that the necessary funding is made available to finance the Water Services Investment and the Rural Water Programmes and monitoring physical and financial progress on schemes.

Ireland has a very diverse water supply system, with over 950 public water supplies producing over 1,600 million litres of water daily through a network of 25,000 km of pipes. EPA data indicate that some 85% of the population is connected to public water supplies and a further 8% of the population is serviced by group water schemes covered by the drinking water regulations. The remainder of the population receives water supplies from private wells.

Water services are generally provided in stand alone regional or local schemes of varying size and are not connected through one interconnected network. Individual water services schemes are designed for each particular location taking into account the unique features which may apply. The design, construction and cost of these schemes is dependent on a number of factors including density of properties, ground conditions and topography.

My Department provides substantial funding to the water service authorities to support the provision of water supplies to the group water sector and to individual households not connected to public or group supplies. Between 2007 and 2011 more than €358 million was provided under the Rural Water Programme to support the operation and upgrade of group water supplies. In the same period, more than €12.5 million was allocated for the private well grants scheme. The private well grant scheme is administered by the local authorities and the individual grant is €2,031.58 per household or 75% of the cost, whichever is the lesser. The grant is available for the piped supply of water for domestic purposes or to remedy serious deficiencies in an existing supply.