Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 16 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Donegal Group Water Scheme.

Miss Coughlan

Táimíd ag caint faoi grúpa scéim uisce i Owenteskna-Leamagowna, áit ina bhfuil timpeall 88 teaghlaigh ina gcónaí agus tá sé an-tábhachtach go mbeidh deontas againn chun é a thosnú i mbliana.

There are 88 families in this area which also has a fish processing factory. Last year, an application for grant aid for this scheme was made to the Department of the Environment. I realise the scheme is quite expensive, costing £653,000, and that the normal grant of £700 per household and £300 for an agricultural connection would only provide £103,000, thereby requiring a special contribution for the scheme of £487,586.

When I tabled a parliamentary question on this matter I was told that £4.5 million was made available for group schemes this year. I could quite easily spend that £4.5 million in my area alone. I cannot understand how problems relating to group water schemes will be addressed unless additional resources are made available to ensure that all of the group schemes are funded. I am told the Department of the Environment sought permission from the Department of Finance some months ago to increase the £700 grant for domestic connections and its £300 grant for agricultural connections.It is unfortunate that £1 million was returned to the Exchequer last year because group schemes could not draw down money due to the enormous gap between the amount of money made available by the Department and the amount needed to be collected by the schemes. Given that there are so many group water schemes in the pipeline, I ask the Minister of State to impress upon her colleague, the Minister for Finance, the need to grant this request.

Group water schemes are often regarded as a lame duck by the Department of Finance but they are an essential prerequisite of rural life and development. There cannot be many more group water schemes remaining to be financed over the coming years and a special contribution should be made particularly to this group water scheme.

I have to tell my constituents that they must raise £64,000 before they can initiate their scheme. I am concerned that a contribution in the region of £500,000 will have to be made available by the Department in order to fund it. To think that some people are relying on wells for their water is preposterous. South West Donegal has tourism potential, it has many bed and breakfast establishments requiring modern conveniences.We also have a successful fish processing factory in Meenaneary which had to invest a considerable amount of money in the provision of water. In order for that factory to maintain its high standards, it is essential that a proper water supply be made available.

I ask the Minister to ensure that grant aid is made available through an increased grant towards the household and agricultural connections for the Owenteskna-Leamagowna group water scheme.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Ms McManus)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on the Adjournment.

The proposed group water scheme is intended to serve up to 90 rural households and farms, as well as a local fish processing plant. The group has a daily water requirement of 113,000 gallons, of which 80,000 gallons is for use in fish processing.

Deputy Coughlan will know that under the developed arrangements for the administration of group schemes in County Donegal, the co-ordination and supervision of the planning of schemes is a matter for Donegal County Council. In the case of this scheme, the council recommended the upsizing of the group's headworks facilities, reservoirs and distribution systems with the long term objective of augmenting the council's public water supply schemes at Carrick and Glencolumbkille. As a result, the group's original proposal was revised and enlarged to provide for additional abstraction, storage and distribution capacity, far in excess of immediate group needs. The higher design specification requested by the county council had major cost implications with the result that the scheme was no longer financially viable on the basis of group water scheme grants and contributions from members.

The overall cost of the scheme to include the upsized headworks, reservoir and distribution system is approximately £654,000. The cost of the additional works specified by Donegal County Council amount to almost £500,000 or about 75 per cent of total cost. I am sure Deputy Coughlan will agree that the conditions sought by the county council, however well intentioned, transformed the overall specification and scope of the scheme to such an extent that it could no longer be considered an eligible group scheme.

Late last year, officials from my Department met representatives of Donegal County Council to review the design and technical specification of the scheme with a view to securing significant cost savings while, at the same time, ensuring adequate capacity to meet all existing group needs. I understand the county council is currently reexamining the design data with a view to submitting a revised proposal to my Department.

As Deputy Coughlan has reminded us, the provision of a quality piped water supply is essential for the maintenance and expansion of job opportunities locally. Errigal Eisc Teoranta is the major employer within the area and there is great scope also to expand tourism in this scenic part of south west Donegal. Nowhere in Ireland has the co-operative spirit and the benefits of collective community effort been more apparent than here in this area generally and in Glencolumbkille, in particular. I am anxious, where possible, to support self help initiatives by rural communities and group schemes provide a good example of how essential rural water supply infrastructure can be provided through co-operative effort. I can fully appreciate the Deputy's concern regarding this scheme and I assure her it will be given early consideration as soon as the revised proposals are received from Donegal County Council.