Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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272. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will be expanding the €50 million scheme providing funding for water services infrastructure in rural villages that currently are outside Irish Water's investment programmes; if he will consider the inclusion of Carrigaholt, Cooraclare and Doolin, County Clare, in any expanded scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56338/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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On the 28 April 2022, I announced a new funding measure, as an advance stage of the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme 2022-2025, for the waste water collection and treatment needs of villages and settlements that do not have access to public waste water services. An allocation of €50 million has been committed under the National Development Plan for up to 2025 for the measure, which will focus on areas of most need based on housing and environmental criteria.

It was open to all rural local authorities to submit, on a priority basis, up to two applications for funding by the deadline of 15 September 2022. Clare County Council have submitted applications for Broadford and Cooraclare.

It is hoped that at least ten demonstration projects nationally will be supported under this first round of funding. The demonstration project model will allow for the development of appropriate longer-term strategies, protocols and better inform future funding needs for the progressive development of public waste water collection and treatment infrastructure in villages/settlements that are currently without these services.