Vol. 494 No. 3
229 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the amount allocated for provision of group water schemes for County Mayo for 1998; the schemes involved; his proposals to fund further group water schemes for 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18159/98]
Last March, a block grant allocation of £788,686 was notified to Mayo County Council under the 1998 rural water programme. Taking into account a credit balance of some £1 million relating to allocations made in 1997, the total moneys available for spending on the rural water programme in County Mayo in 1998 amount to around £1.8 million, of which £1.54 million is earmarked for spending on group schemes. No recoupment has been made this year to the county council in respect of expenditure on group water scheme grants. However, a payment claim in the amount of £1.3 million was received in my Department on 29 September and is being examined.
Under the devolved arrangements for the administration of the rural water programme, the prioritisation and approval of schemes is now a matter for Mayo County Council, subject to overall block grant allocation. I am not in a position at this time to indicate what the overall level of funding for group schemes is likely to be in 1999.
