Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
2188. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she intends re-instating the group water scheme top-up scheme available under CLÁR from its inception to 2011 to ensure that all houses in the State have access to water at an affordable cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42747/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra2189. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of group water schemes that availed of the group water scheme top-up scheme under the Clár programme during the lifetime of the scheme; the number of houses connected under the scheme; the total cost of the scheme; if the scheme represented value for money in her view; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42748/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 2188 and 2189 together.
The CLÁR programme, which was originally launched in 2001, provides funding for small scale projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. The Programme was closed in 2010 and then reopened in 2016.
CLÁR, as originally constituted, leveraged existing funding streams across a wide variety of developments including group water schemes, roads, health projects, and sports capital projects. The Group Water Scheme top-up element was closed to new applicants in 2008.
CLÁR was re-structured and re-opened in 2016. The Scheme now has an increased focus on collaboration between communities and local authorities. The leveraging aspect has been discontinued. My Department, which was established in the Summer of 2017, now manages the programme. Due to the passage of time the Department does not have the records relating to the earlier group water scheme measure of the Programme readily to hand.
That said, the importance of investment in water infrastructure is well recognised within Our Rural Future, and my colleague, the Minister of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, through his Department builds its strategic water policy and infrastructure delivery programmes around the National Planning Framework 2018-2040 and the National Development Plan 2021-2030 (NDP). Investment is primarily delivered through Irish Water while his Department operates the Rural Water Programme directly. The strategic objective of the Programme is to improve the quality, reliability and efficiency of water services for rural dwellers.
The Programme delivers improvements to private water services in areas of rural Ireland where there is no access to piped water services. Under the NDP, funding has been allocated over the period 2021 to 2025 for (non-Irish Water) investment in rural water infrastructure. This includes €175 million for the Rural Water Programme. In addition an annual subsidy is payable by local authorities to group water schemes towards their operational and management costs of supplying water for domestic use.
At present, I have no plans to reinstate the group water scheme top up to the CLÁR Programme.
