Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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225. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide funding for a group water scheme at Coosan, Athlone, County Westmeath; if he will arrange for an extension of the sewerage scheme to incorporate this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6712/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s new Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2016-2018 was developed through a working group of key stakeholders 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 is not 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 group sewerage projects being brought forward under the measure in any one year of the three year programme. The demonstrations will allow my Department, over the course of the programme, to determine the appropriate enduring funding levels and relationship with the current grant scheme. A Group Sewerage Scheme, for the area in question, was not included by Westmeath County Council in its bids under Measure 4(d) of the Programme.

I understand from Westmeath County Council that there is a public mains (Irish Water) water supply in the area. 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. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie. or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.