asked the Minister for the Environment if it is proposed to give an increased grant to the Churchill group water scheme, as it now caters for 250 houses, and if so, the amount of the grant and when this will be paid.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Water Scheme.
15.
This scheme which was designed to cater for 27 houses and 12 farms has been allocated maximum available State and local authority grants totalling £6,800. In addition my Department have already approved three special contributions totalling £5,750 to cater for future development, including the servicing of additional houses outside the immediate area of the group scheme. Very little work is necessary to complete the scheme and this should be carried out before 31 December 1979 so that the small balance of State grants outstanding can be paid.
It has been represented to me by Donegal County Council that if slow sand filters were now provided, the scheme could be extended to other areas, and that these and other works would increase the capacity of the scheme to 150 houses. It is open to the county council to consider including appropriate proposals for this in their small schemes programme since it appears that there is a prospect of a further group being formed to undertake the initial sections of the extension envisaged.
Is the gist of what the Minister is suggesting that this should be done in two schemes rather than in one?
I said there was a small amount of work to be carried out on the existing scheme and that it should be done before the end of December to draw on the amount of grants still available to complete that scheme.
Does this then leave it open to an extension of the grant-aid to the enlarged scheme, or would it be regarded as a sort of a new scheme?
Well, a new scheme would be the obvious thing. I presume there is adequate supply available from existing sources.
I think that is assured. However, I wonder if the Minister is aware that his suggestion may not in fact be the case—that it has been growing and enlarging in numbers. Would the Minister be able to assist in sorting out the overall contributions of the various new and old elements in this scheme if it comes to be treated as two separate schemes, although it is in practice one scheme? There are all sorts of difficulties in doing what the Minister has said. It would make sense, perhaps, to start with on the ground——
Certainly I will examine the feasibility of it being an extension of an existing scheme or a new group scheme on its own with regard to the overall cost.
Fair enough.
At present it is suggested that they should complete the existing one before the end of December.
Anyhow, the Minister will have a further look at it?
Yes.