Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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167. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the submission of requests for the 2022-2024 Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23673/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that my Department is in the final stages of drafting the Framework for the upcoming Multi-annual Rural Water Programme. I expect to receive a submission in the coming weeks for my consideration with, subject to approval, the bids process for the Programme to take place in the coming months.

The purpose of the Programme is to continue to fund delivery of improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland without public water services and to build on the success and achievements of previous programmes.

I can also confirm that in April 2022, an advance measure of the new Programme, the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs of Villages and Settlements without access to Public Waste Water Services was launched. This measure was introduced to progressively provide waste water collection and treatment needs for villages and settlements not currently serviced by Uisce Éireann. My Department has committed to providing €50 million for this measure under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2022-2025.

Local authorities were invited to submit requests for funding for specific priority projects in their areas. These applications have been received and were considered in detail by the independent Expert Panel which was established to evaluate applications.

I expect to be a position to announce funding for specific projects in the coming weeks.