Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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703. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the plans in place for charging persons on group water schemes. [50412/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Group Water Schemes are community-owned and community-run and accordingly I have no function in their management or operation. However, where Group Water Schemes are availing of capital grants or the annual operational subsidy under my Department's Rural Water Programme the terms and conditions of these funding schemes apply.

I understand that the Deputy is referring in his question to the annual subsidy towards the operational costs of Group Water Schemes.

In late 2017, my Department conducted a review of Group Water Schemes’ subsidies. The review involved discussions with the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, the representative body for the Group Water Sector. Discussions concluded in December 2017, when I approved increased subsidy levels. The new subsidy arrangements, endorsed by a special delegate conference of the Federation on 13 December 2017, came into effect on 1 January 2018. Local authorities were advised by my Department of the increased subsidy levels on 19 December 2017 and detailed terms and conditions for the subsidy were subsequently issued by my Department to local authorities.

The terms and conditions allow for Group Water Schemes to apply an excessive use charge on their domestic members where they are consuming above a household threshold (160 cubic meters per day) as well as a formal mechanism for schemes to reduce this household threshold amount (provided that it is not reduced to less than 115 cubic meters per day) if they are to avail of the subsidy.