asked the Minister for Local Government the number of applications for grants in respect of group water supply schemes in rural areas which have been submitted to his Department and which are at present awaiting sanction, and the number of officers of his Department at present engaged in carrying out inspections of such schemes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Grants for Group Water Supply Schemes.
25.
The number of group water supply schemes in respect of which grants have not yet been allocated is 736. These schemes are at various stages of planning and organisation but they have not yet reached the stage at which the amounts of the grants can be determined.
The number of officers of my Department at present engaged in carrying out inspections of group schemes is 15.
Will the Minister not agree it is the experience of many people who are promoting these group water schemes that they are not getting the co-operation from his Department which they require? Will he not agree there are some 600 schemes still awaiting the approval of his Department, which is alleged to be due to the fact that there are too few engineers working on these schemes?
I have not information in that respect. These schemes have not reached the stage at which the grants could be determined.
Surely the Minister is aware that in relation to schemes of this kind submitted to his Department inspections were carried out six months ago and nobody has come back since to the people who were anxious to carry out these schemes.
These schemes have not been brought to the stage at which the matters could be decided.
When is it proposed to bring them to that stage? Does it take more than six months?
This matter involves the people who are putting forward the schemes.
Somebody comes along to make an inspection and the people do not hear any more about it.