Moynihan seeks funding for group sewerage treatment plants
RIGHT across the country, there are numerous smaller housing estates with proprietary treatment plants, often serving ten or 15 houses but in many cases, the treatment plant is not operating, which is causing pollution, blockages and difficulty for householders, Fianna Fáil Deputy Aindrias Moynihan told the Dáil.
“They want to put it right but are struggling to do so,” he said. “They cannot get access to the taking-in-charge initiative. Irish Water does not want them. The councils have no budgets for upgrading sewerage plants and the residents themselves cannot afford to do the work.”
Deputy Moynihan said the scheme needs to be modified. “We are really only talking about small money. Less than €2 million a year is spent on the current scheme and often the maximum allocation is not spent. The scheme is due for renewal over the next year so it is an opportune time to consider modifying it. We have people who recognise that there is a problem and want to take action and do the right thing but cannot afford to.”
In reply, Minister of State Damien English said his Department’s new multi-annual rural water programme 2016 to 2018 was developed through a working group of key stakeholders involving local authorities, the water services transition office, Irish Water, the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, as well as his Department. “The programme provides for the funding of demonstration group sewerage schemes through measure 4(d), where clustering of households on individual septic tanks is not a viable option, particularly from an environmental perspective,” he said. “Local authorities were invited in January 2016 to submit bids under the programme. The invitation envisaged no more than two demonstration group sewerage projects being brought forward under the measure in any one year of the three-year programme. The demonstrations will allow my Department, over the course of the programme, to determine the appropriate enduring funding levels and relationship with the current grant scheme.”