Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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636. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the provision which has been made in 2017 under the rural water programme; the facility which has been put in place for local authorities to submit projects for funding in 2017; and if submissions have been received to date. [30956/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, 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.

Under the new programme there are six different funding measures as follows:

- Measure 1 - Environmental and public health compliance (group water sector):This measure is aimed at improving water quality in existing Group Water Schemes so that they can achieve compliance with the quality parameters of the Drinking Water Regulations 2014.

- Measure 2 - Enhancement of existing schemes (group water sector):This measure supports projects to make existing Group Water Schemes more efficient in their operation (e.g. water conservation, network upgrades and source protection).

- Measure 3 - Rural development (group water sector):This measure supports social and economic development in rural towns and villages and their hinterlands by providing new group water schemes where public water supply schemes or private wells are not an option.

- Measure 4 - Transition of group schemes to Public Water and Waste Water Sector (Irish Water):This measure enables group water and sewerage schemes, where they wish to do with agreement of Irish Water, transition to the public water and waste water sector.

- Measure 5 - Innovation and Research: This measure is aimed at issues in the rural water sector which given the major transition of water services in Ireland, require new and innovative approaches.

- Measure 6 - Individual wells (more commonly called private wells) and on-site wastewater treatment systems (more commonly called septic tanks):This measure is aimed at allowing householders that are dependent on these services to obtain funding support for their improvement.

In May 2017, my Department invited local authorities to submit bids under Measures 1 and 2 of the programme. Bids for Measures 3, 4 and 5 were already invited and approvals made in 2016 on a scheme/project specific basis for the duration of the programme. Measure 6 is a demand led initiative which does not require a specific funding allocation.

In order to maintain momentum in the programme, interim funding allocations issued to local authorities on 13 June 2017 for Measures 2, 3, 4 and 5. Bids under Measure 1 will now be examined by an Expert Panel convened by my Department for approval recommendations which will be on a scheme specific basis. Allocations under Measure 2 are based on a block grant as in previous years.  Final funding allocations for all measures will issue to local authorities as quickly as possible.

Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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637. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to grant funding in relation to the cases of persons (details supplied); and if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing hardship being imposed on the persons concerned. [30978/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Ballyduff Upper Group Water Scheme, a small existing three house scheme located on the Cork – Waterford border, was included by Cork County Council in its 2016 bids under Measure 3 of the Multi-Annual Programme Rural Water 2016 – 2018. This measure supports social and economic development in rural towns and villages and their hinterlands by providing new group water schemes where public water supply schemes or private wells are not an option.

An Expert Panel was convened by my Department to examine the 2016 bids from local authorities for projects under a number of the programme’s measures, including Measure 3, and to make recommendations to the Department on funding. However, following examination of the bids under this measure by the Panel, the Ballyduff Group Water Scheme was not recommended for funding under the programme. My Department accepted the recommendations of the Panel in full in making final overall funding allocations in 2016 to local authorities.

A copy of the Expert Panel's report and consideration of all proposals under the Programme for 2016 for are available on my Department’s website at the following link:

www.housing.gov.ie/water/water-services/rural-water-programme/group-water-schemes-and-rural-water-issues.

In May 2017, my Department invited local authorities to submit bids for schemes for the period 2017-2018 for certain measures including under Measure 1 which is aimed at improving water quality in existing group water schemes to achieve compliance with the parameters of the Drinking Water Regulations, 2014. While it is a matter for Cork County Council to consider which schemes to include in its bids, the Council has not included Ballyduff Upper Group Water Scheme.