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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

John Browne

Ceist:

116 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if an individual should be allowed obtain a grant for sinking their own well. [22827/01]

My Department, through the local authorities, is providing record levels of capital funding for the upgrading of quality deficient, privately sourced group water schemes. Under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, £420 million, 533 million, will be invested in the upgrading and renewal of rural water services infrastructure.

Last year I introduced a new 100% capital grant for the provision of essential water disinfection and treatment equipment in quality deficient group schemes, together with a substantial increase in the level of subsidy towards the operational cost of these facilities. At the same time I increased the grant for improvements to group water scheme storage and distribution systems to 85% of cost, subject to a maximum cost of £6,000 per house.

Following the introduction of these new and improved grants, I made regulations in December 2000 which require group water schemes to meet the standards set out in the EU drinking water directive by end 2003. I have also secured Government approval to bring forward a new Water Services Bill which will, inter alia, make statutory provision for a licensing system to regulate group water schemes and to set operational standards, including water quality standards.
In the light of the foregoing, I do not propose to provide grant assistance for individual water supplies where an alternative group scheme
supply is available.
Question No. 117 answered with Question No. 111.
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