Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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174. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his Department's long-term strategy in relation to the provision of group sewage schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13459/15]

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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175. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when local authorities will be informed of their 2015 funding allocation for the development of group sewage schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13462/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 175 together.

Responsibility for the administration of my Department’s Rural Water Programme, which includes funding for group sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997.

The annual block grant allocations provided by my Department to the local authorities under the programme are based, in the first instance, on the requests for funding received from the authorities at the beginning of each year. The authorities’ requests for funding under the 2015 Rural Water Programme are being examined in my Department with a view to informing authorities of their 2015 allocations as soon as possible.

The Government remains committed to the continued support of the Group Water sector as an important element of the water industry in Ireland, founded on co-operative community and voluntary engagement, and to invest in the sector to sustain and improve quality standards and performance. My Department will also be engaging with the National Federation of Group Water Schemes to explore the possibility of introducing a rolling multi-annual funding programme to provide certainty to the sector on funding of projects.