Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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428. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide funding to Kerry County Council for group sewerage schemes in the county in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22222/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes group sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. In December 2012 I announced an increase in the grant for group sewerage schemes to €6,500 per house or 75% of the cost of the scheme, whichever is the lesser. The previous rate of grant available was €2,031.58 per house or 75% of the cost, whichever was the lesser.

I propose, in the first instance, to carry out a number of pilot schemes based on the increased grant level. My Department asked local authorities to include in their requests for funding under the 2013 Rural Water Programme proposals for group sewerage schemes which might be viable based on the increased grant. Following an examination of the proposals received, with particular regard to the environmental justification provided, I approved grant assistance last March towards the following pilot schemes:

Proposals for six group sewerage schemes were included in Kerry County Council’s request for funding under the Rural Water Programme. However, the proposals did not merit inclusion in the pilot programme on the basis of the environmental justification provided by the Council. Progress on the selected pilot schemes will be reviewed in due course with a view to deciding how best to proceed with the grant scheme.