Vol. 555 No. 5
399 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will make finance available to allow local authorities to fund new group water schemes which will provide good quality water to households where none, or at best very poor quality water, is available, if his attention has been drawn to the countless number of houses that still do not have a decent water supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19368/02]
This year my Department has provided a record €70 million capital allocation for rural water services infrastructure under the devolved rural water programme. Of this allocation €46 million will be invested in the upgrading of quality deficient group water schemes and the construction of new schemes to serve areas currently without a piped water supply. A further €5million will be spent on grants for the provision or improvement of water supplies to individual houses where an alternative group scheme or public water supply is not available. In addition to the capital allocation, a provision of €5million has also been made for the subsidy scheme to assist group schemes with their operational costs.
