Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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782. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his policy on the provision of sewerage schemes in towns and villages that do not have such schemes; if it is his responsibility or Uisce Éireann's to provide these schemes; if the latter, if he has issued instructions or guidelines to Uisce Éireann, or if he provides ring-fenced finance for new schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6860/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels, including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 requires Irish Water to put in place a Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP). The WSSP outlines the strategic direction for Irish Water over the short, medium and long-term time frames up to 2040. It identifies and prioritises the key objectives required to ensure that smaller towns and villages are appropriately supported by water services infrastructure. Irish Water published the WSSP in October 2015 and this is available online at:

Irish Water's Capital Investment Plan (CIP) 2014-2016 outlines a number of priorities to be delivered including improving water quality, tackling leakage, improving capacity and investing for economic development and it identifies where Irish Water considers investment in infrastructure is necessary for the effective performance of its functions. This plan is available online at

A successor CIP has been prepared by Irish Water and the Commission for Energy Regulation is expected to issue a consultation paper on this plan later this year.

During 2015, my Department established a working group involving key stakeholders in the rural water sector to address the development of the rural water sector within the overall water sector reform programme to ensure that the programme responds effectively to current and future needs. Local authorities, the Water Services Transition Office, Irish Water, the National Federation of Group Water Schemes as well as my Department are represented on the working group. One of the tasks of the group is to ensure that there is appropriate integration of the Department's Rural Water Programme and Irish Water's Capital Investment Programme so as to fully support rural development and address any environmental issues that may arise.

The working group is also considering a number of areas where there are potential boundary issues with Irish Water or legacy issues which need to be addressed and new approaches in this area will be informed by a number of demonstration projects or pilot schemes, including ones relating to the provision of new group sewerage schemes by communities.