Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the charging mechanism that will be used to charge domestic consumers on privately operated group water schemes with supply from public mains. [24624/12]

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the meter charge that will apply to group water scheme members when the scheme was taken in charge after being upgraded and metered and where the members contributed to the cost of the upgrade. [24625/12]

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will guarantee the operational subsidy to group water schemes with private sources and also group water schemes connected to public water mains. [24626/12]

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will guarantee the higher rate of subsidy to privately sourced group water schemes who have entered in to a 20 year design, build and operate contracts with private contractors. [24627/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 to 111, inclusive, together.

Group water schemes supplied from a public supply are generally charged in line with the non-domestic charges set by the relevant local authority. Such group water schemes can opt to be taken-over by the local authority and funding is available under my Department's Rural Water Programme where investment is required in the infrastructure as part of such take-over. As part of the proposed water sector reforms, it is envisaged that Irish Water would, following the eventual transfer of the relevant functions from local authorities in 2017, be responsible for the bulk provision of water to such schemes. In the meantime, local authorities will continue to administer all group water schemes.

Group water schemes supplied from either a private source or a local authority public supply may qualify for a subsidy towards the operational costs of supplying domestic water in respect of each house connected to the scheme. €21.7 million has been provided by my Department this year to cover the costs of the subsidy scheme, including the higher rate of subsidy referred to in the question.

The future approaches to funding of the group water sector in relation to both capital and operational subsidies will be determined by my Department in due course, in consultation with the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, taking account of the needs of the sector and the developments on the funding of public water schemes.