Minister O’Sullivan recognises group water scheme sector’s impact on rural communities as he opens National Conference
- Published on: 11 September 2025
- Last updated on: 25 September 2025
The Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, has today (DATE) reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the group water scheme sector and praised the sector’s work in supporting rural communities, at the opening of the National Federation of Group Water Scheme’s national conference.
At the 2025 Rural Water Conference, which was held in Galway today, Minister O’Sullivan said:
“The group water scheme movement has shown itself to be innovative, efficient, and deeply community-rooted – qualities that make it one of the best examples in Irish public life of what can be achieved when communities come together to solve shared challenges.
“We will continue to invest in infrastructure, support innovation, and back the work of communities and schemes."
The Minister’s remarks come following a recent announcement of funding under the multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2024–2026.
Funding of €166 million has been allocated by the department over three rounds, supporting 550 projects across the country. In July, almost €74 million was allocated to 291 individual capital projects, which the Minister said was a clear demonstration of the government's ongoing commitment to the sector.
The 2025 Rural Water Conference brought together the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, local authorities, members, and volunteers who sustain group water schemes around the country. Several schemes were recognised with awards acknowledging their commitment to protecting water quality and managing schemes effectively.
“The real credit goes to the volunteers, staff, and managers of group water schemes who ensure rural communities receive water that meets the highest standards,” Minister O’Sullivan commented.
He noted that maintaining sufficient water supply required careful planning, investment, and ongoing conservation. With a changing climate, increasingly severe weather events, and growing pressures on land use, he noted that resilience is also essential:
“Resilience isn’t built by systems alone,” he said. “It’s built by people - the volunteers, NFGWS and local authorities – working in partnership with Government; a partnership I am fully committed to strengthening. By working together, we can ensure that our rural water systems are ready to meet the challenges of the future, whether that is extreme weather, new regulations, or rising demand.”
Notes
The 2025 Rural Water Conference took place on Thursday, 11 September at the Clayton Hotel, Co Galway. It was also addressed by representatives of the NFGWS, the Rural Water Unit of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, An Fóram Uisce, Environmental Protection Agency, West Limerick Group Water Scheme, Dublin City University, Galway County Council, and Glinsk Creggs Group Water Scheme.
About Group Water Schemes/NFGWS
Group Water Schemes are privately owned and operated water distribution systems which pipe water from local water sources such as lakes or boreholes into homes and farms.
Communities set up voluntary co-operative structures known as Group Water Schemes to privately manage these water distribution systems with current operating costs being funded through contributions from Group Scheme members and Central Government subsidies.
The National Federation of Group Water Schemes (NFGWS) is the representative organisation for the community-owned group water scheme (GWS) sector in Ireland.
For more on the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, and the conference awards, go to the National Federation of Group Water Schemes website.