Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 October 2013
11. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason the rural water programme fund was cut by €11.887 million; and how and where he envisages the cut being implemented. [44814/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding is currently provided under my Department’s rural water programme towards group water schemes, group sewerage schemes, small public water and wastewater scheme works and some miscellaneous grants. The allocation for the programme in 2013 was €39.6 million.
The allocation for the programme for 2014 is €27.7 million. The reduced provision in 2014 reflects the fact that responsibility for the small public water and wastewater scheme works element of the programme will transfer to Irish Water in 2014 and so funding for such works will no longer be required under the programme.
The primary focus of Irish Water will be on the delivery of services to customers on the public water and wastewater networks. The Department will remain responsible for the overall policy, and funding where appropriate, of the non-public sector, including the group water sector. The funding being provided in 2014 under the rural water programme will continue to fund group water schemes, group sewerage schemes and some miscellaneous grants.
I thank the Minister for his reply. The cut in funding bringing the allocation down to €27 million will have a significant impact. The Minister said that one of the reasons for that is the transfer of responsibility for some of the network to Irish Water. There was rush in recent years for councils to take over responsibility for these networks. On 1 January next year will responsibility for all them have been directly transferred to Irish Water once they have a connection to the public network? Will responsibility for those schemes that were connected up to the public network directly transfer to Irish Water? What will happen in respect of the stand-alone group water schemes that are still not connected to the public network? Will a subvention be provided in respect of them? Will grants be provided towards improving those schemes? Many of those schemes have been built up and improved with grants and by the funding and efforts of the members. Will there be an entitlement to apply for grant funding in respect of those schemes?
As I stated in my reply, there is effectively no change in the funding arrangement for 2014. There will be an allocation of €27.7 million for local authorities under the developed scheme in terms of the rural water programme. That will continue with local authorities in terms of block grants for the purposes of group scheme, water and sewerage and some small public water and wastewater schemes. We spent €15 million on small public water and wastewater schemes this year, and responsibility for that will now move to Irish water. Therefore, the same amount of money is effectively in the system only it is coming in to it through different ways. Irish Water will have a service level agreement with local authorities, as the Deputy will be aware, and that will provide for some of the funding that we would have had for that this year under the small public water and wastewater schemes. The local authorities will continue to fund the group water schemes, the private ones, in the way that has been done previously.
What is the Government's policy on the stand-alone water schemes? There has been a move during the past ten or 15 years, based on EU regulations, to take in charge many of the small ones and connect them up to the main system. It is Government policy to complete that process and eventually take over responsibility for all the group water schemes, or is it adopting a hands-off approach and leaving that matter to be dealt with by the group water schemes and Uisce Éireann?
The Deputy knows that I am very concerned about the condition of ground water and in spite of his party's opposition I proceeded with the registration of septic tanks.
Do not start with that.
Why not?
We never opposed the registration of septic tanks.
You did.
We supported it.
Ask Deputy Ferris who went to public meetings in Limerick and Kerry about it.
The Minister is misrepresenting what the man said.
No, I am not.
Stick to the facts.
I am sorry if I hit a sensitive point but I am very much in favour of protecting ground water in spite of the opposition to it from the Opposition parties in this House. We succeeded on that in that 92% of people are now registered. As part of our policy, we will continue to protect ground water and to assist group water schemes in that they be established with generous grants and also to assist them in being taken over by local authorities.
People cannot even get a grant.
There were some 6,300.
Does the Minister want a list of the applicants? I will send it to him.
The Deputy is thinking of the sewerage scheme in Ballydaly.
