Vol. 503 No. 6
50 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reason his Department failed to draw down all the funds allocated by the EU during 1998 for improving group water schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10823/99]
Of the £10 million allocated for certain large-scale group water schemes under the Operational Programme for Environmental Services 1994-1999, expenditure to the end of 1998 amounted to £8.5 million. This was less than had been projected and resulted from the commencement of some schemes being delayed by the devolution arrangements for group schemes introduced by the previous Government in 1997. A sum of £3 million had been allocated for group schemes from the operational programme that year of which £1.3 million remained unspent at year end. The underspend was carried forward into 1998 but, as a result of the delays that had already occurred in starting schemes, local authorities were unable to draw down the increased allocation in full. The moneys unspent at the end of 1998 are being rescheduled for draw down in 1999.
Commitments on schemes already approved for funding are currently being assessed and any uncommitted balance arising will be allocated to new projects, ensuring that all of the available co-financing will be fully drawn down by the end of the year 2000, as required by the operational programme.
