I apologise for my lateness, I was watching with interest and thought Senator Roche would go on until 8 p.m. Thank you, a Leas-Chathaoirligh, for the opportunity to raise this issue of the funding of a major scheme, the east Meath regional water supply scheme.
The Minister is aware that over a long period Meath County Council has been making representations to the Department for funds to put this scheme together. On numerous occasions representations were made by the locals and local representatives. A number of deputations were accepted and meetings were held in the Department of the Environment with the Minister for the Environment. Some time in February this year following one of these meetings, a decision was made and the Minister, Deputy Smith, informed some members of the delegation that £2.61 million would be provided for part of the scheme but the remainder of the funds had to be found locally.
I find the overall situation and the result of the meeting amazing. Since the foundation of the State the funding of these schemes has always been provided by the Department. In this case an application was made, the meeting took place with no official from the county council present and when three weeks later the March meeting of Meath County Council took place, no details had yet been sent from the Department of the Environment to state that this money had been approved. There was a row there about it, even though some of the people who attended the meeting had informed the general public that they had secured this funding; yet three weeks later there was still no word.
Following that pressure a letter was sent to some of the representatives who were at the meeting which then found its way to the local media, and six hours later the council were informed. The letter stated as follows:
I am directed by the Minister for the Environment to refer to the preliminary proposal for the Meath East Regional water supply scheme currently under examination in my Department. The Minister is prepared to allocate a maximum sum of £2.61 million for the provision of the scheme to the town of Ashbourne only, excluding the other areas that were included in the application. [Excluding Dun-shaughlin, Ratoath, Curragha and Dunboyne.] No further grants will be approved in respect of this work and additional costs must be borne locally. Before proceeding to contract document stage, please confirm your agreement to the proposals set out above.
Never in the history of the State has such a letter been sent to a local authority. It sets a precedent and if it is accepted, local people who pay for the building of their own houses, residential property tax, water rates and all the other charges, will have to fund the extra 10 per cent. If the Minister tells us later that the council may have to provide these funds, where will we get the funds to cover the extra cost? Will we increase our water charges by another 15 per cent or 20 per cent a year? That is the only revenue we have.
I wish the Minister to tell us tonight whether this scheme will be fully funded by the Department. Is it intended to change the policy of funding these major schemes now and in the future so that only 90 per cent of the funds will be made available? If that is the case, the people will have to take up the slack of the 10 per cent funding that was made available to the Department under the national plan. I wish the Minister to inform us of the situation because we in Meath County Council, and I as a Member of that body, will not accept funding on the basis that we must come up with the balance of the funds.
In 1982 there was a major investment of £2.4 million in the water supply scheme in this area which was fully funded by the then Government. Representations were made by me and other elected representatives at the time and we were given 100 per cent funding. I do not see why or how we can allow ourselves be put in a position where we would get 90 per cent funding because if this happens, it is a watershed for every other local authority, and I would not like to see that happening. I hope the Minister will enlighten all local authorities on this major issue.
