Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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187. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on a group sewerage scheme administered by his Department which only authorised two applications in 2016; his further views on an application (details supplied); if the scheme's criteria will be changed in 2017; if redress could be sought for 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32926/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s new Rural Water Multi-annual Programme 2016-2018 was developed through a working group of key stakeholder s involving local authorities, the Water Services Transition Office, Irish Water, the National Federation of Group Water Schemes as well as my Department. The programme provides for the funding of demonstration Group Sewerage Schemes, through Measure 4(d), where clustering of households on individual septic tanks isnot a viable option, particularly from an environmental perspective.

Local authorities were invited in January 2016 to submit bids under the programme. The invitation envisaged no more than two demonstration sewerage projects being brought forward under the measure in any one year of the three year programme. The demonstrations will allow, over the course of the programme, my Department to determine the appropriate enduring funding levels and relationship with the current grant scheme.

Baltrasna/Marlinstown Group Sewerage Scheme was included by Westmeath County Council in its bid under Measure 4(d) of the Programme. However, following examination of all local authorities’ proposals under this measure by the Expert Panel convened for this purpose, the scheme was not recommended for funding under the Programme. A copy of the Expert Panel’s report and consideration of all proposals under the Programme is available on my Department’s website at the following link – .