My Department has funded a pilot programme, proposed by the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee, to test a range of new, small-scale waste water collection and treatment systems under Irish conditions. The objective of the pilot programme is to evaluate new approaches to meeting the wastewater collection and treatment needs of rural communities and to examine the potential role for group sewerage schemes in extending collection systems to households outside the catchment of new or existing public sewerage networks. The performance of new infrastructure provided under the pilot programme is being monitored and evaluated. The National Rural Water Services Committee has been asked to report to me on the results as they become available. The grants for group sewerage schemes will be reviewed in light of the outcome.