Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 January 2015
893. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding historic funding to local authorities for water services; the amount of money that was allocated on an annual basis to local authorities from 2001 to 2013, inclusive; the way this money was sourced; and the way it was it allocated to local authorities. [49667/14]
View answerUntil 1 January 2014, local authorities were responsible for the delivery of public water services and the provision of grant support/subsidies for the group water and sewerage sector and private wells. The operational costs of public water services were met from a combination of non-domestic water charges and funding from own resources, mainly through the block grant provided from the Local Government Fund. In relation to capital expenditure, the bulk of investment in the period 2001-2013 was sourced from Exchequer grants, with the balance met from development levies and borrowings. Income and expenditure of individual local authorities on water services is set out in the annual financial statements.
Details of capital expenditure recouped under my Department’s multi-annual Water Services Investment Programme to each local authority since 2001 in respect of water services is outlined in the table below.
|
Year |
Wastewater |
Water |
|
2001 |
€ 376,014,089 |
€ 76,735,983 |
|
2002 |
€ 350,592,383 |
€ 82,525,447 |
|
2003 |
€ 285,199,226 |
€ 87,412,374 |
|
2004 |
€ 229,629,924 |
€ 82,137,157 |
|
2005 |
€ 208,520,159 |
€ 89,559,496 |
|
2006 |
€ 239,367,972 |
€ 95,069,796 |
|
2007 |
€ 254,550,106 |
€ 111,460,977 |
|
2008 |
€ 239,830,986 |
€ 150,958,610 |
|
2009 |
€ 255,101,895 |
€ 156,806,796 |
|
2010 |
€ 283,744,360 |
€ 122,150,173 |
|
2011 |
€ 220,143,396 |
€ 129,568,781 |
|
2012 |
€ 150,362,918 |
€ 115,976,768 |
|
2013 |
€ 124,396,289 |
€ 108,490,456 |
|
Total |
€3,217,453,703 |
€1,408,852,814 |
Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection, prioritisation and approval of individual scheme proposals for advancement and funding under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant allocations provided, is therefore a matter for the local authorities. The table below sets out the funding recouped by my Department to local authorities. This includes all capital funding provided under the Rural Water Programme and subsidies, provided under the Local Government Fund, towards the operational costs of group water schemes and local authority salary costs.
Rural Water Programme
|
Year |
Capital Exchequer Payments |
Subsidies towards Group Water Schemes & local authority salary costs |
|
- |
€ Millions |
€ Millions |
|
2001 |
53.456 |
9.822 |
|
2002 |
57.232 |
9.748 |
|
2003 |
74.800 |
9.876 |
|
2004 |
85.946 |
10.245 |
|
2005 |
119.000 |
12.136 |
|
2006 |
130.000 |
12.951 |
|
2007 |
130.000 |
13.700 |
|
2008 |
105.000 |
16.001 |
|
2009 |
100.000 |
18.000 |
|
2010 |
88.000 |
17.000 |
|
2011 |
79.000 |
23.000 |
|
2012 |
40.000 |
24.643 |
|
2013 |
34.000 |
19.435 |
|
Total |
1,096.43 |
196.557 |
