Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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692. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if grant assistance is available to persons with their own private well to have their water tested in view of recent concerns from the EPA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50242/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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A grant, funded by my Department, for the provision or necessary improvement of an individual water supply in a house (more commonly called the private wells grant) is available from local authorities. The grant, subject to certain conditions, assists households dependent on these supplies with the costs incurred in providing such a supply of water for domestic purposes or rectifying serious deficiencies in either quantity or quality of an existing supply.

It is the practice of the local authorities that administer the grant on behalf of my Department to take, or request samples of the water supply to be taken, before and after the installation of equipment under the grant scheme. These samples must then be tested in an accredited laboratory. The cost of this testing is recoverable under the grant scheme.

In April 2018, I established a Working Group to conduct a review of the wider investment needs relating to rural water services. The Group's aim is to recommend measures to provide for an equality in outcomes between those who receive water services from Irish Water and non-Irish water customers.

The terms of reference of the review provide for a two-strand approach. Strand 1 was to consider the composition and distribution of funding for the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2019-2021. Strand 2 is considering the more complex longer-focus issues surrounding the long-term future resourcing of the Rural Water Sector.

I received a report on Strand 1 of the Working Group's deliberations on 30 November 2018. Following my consideration of its recommendations, I expect to announce details of the programme priorities for the 2019 to 2021 funding cycle, including on the private wells grant, shortly.