Minister: Safe water 'critically important' to rural communities
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne has today (July 23) announced a third round of funding under the multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2024-2026.
The funding provides capital investment to improve water services in rural areas.
Yesterday (July 22), Fine Gael TD Colm Burke outlined that funding of €73.9 million has been allocated for 291 projects across the country.
According to Minister Browne, the funding will be made available primarily to group water schemes to support areas such as water source protection, compliance with water quality standards, leakage reduction, and expanding the coverage of piped water supplies from the public, Uisce Éireann, network.
He said: "Safe and reliable drinking water is critically important and access to it enhances the quality of life for people living in rural Ireland.
"This is critically important to local economies and to sustainability in these rural communities. The 291 projects receiving this funding will play a big part in providing robust water supplies throughout rural Ireland."
The minister explained that the government is "working hard to fund improvements to water services" across the country, including services to rural areas that do not have access to Uisce Éireann services.
As part of the application process for this funding, local authorities were asked to work with group water schemes and their representative body the National Federation of Group Water Schemes.
The Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O'Sullivan said: “Having safe and secure water is fundamental to rural communities’ quality of life and as places to live, visit and establish business in.
"This funding will help to improve water quality compliance, decrease leakage and expand the coverage of access to piped water from the public network for rural communities."
"The work to be undertaken by the 291 projects will make a real difference to these parts of rural Ireland," he added.
The funding announced by the Department of Housing is in addition to previous supports including investment of over €45 million for seven individual projects for waste water collection and treatment needs for villages and settlements without access to public waste water services announced in December 2023, and over €47 million for 256 projects announced under the multi-annual programme in November 2024.
