Cecilia Keaveney
Question:146 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for the Environment the financial help, if any, which is currently available for water pollution protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3050/97]
Written Answers. - Water Pollution.
I take it that the question relates to financial support from my Department for the water pollution programmes of local authorities. Questions relating to assistance for particular sectors, in the context of water pollution, are matters for the other Ministers concerned.
In so far as my Department is concerned, the capital investment programme for water and sewerage schemes amounts to more than £650 million under the National Development Plan, 1994-99, with over £150 million available for investment in the current year. This programme contributes to a significant reduction in the pollution loads discharged to our major rivers and lakes, and to the marine environment, from local authority sewage treatment and disposal works.
Local authorities' current expenditure on water pollution control is in general financed from local resources combined with their allocations from the rate support grant. A sum of £440,000 is, however, available to my Department in the current year to support local authority initiatives in relation to environmental investigation, research and monitoring, and £118,000 of this amount will be payable under INTERREG II to Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal County Councils in respect of follow-up monitoring programmes on the Erne and Foyle, and to Cavan County Council in respect of the completion of a nutrient management study.