Minister Browne announces €74 million capital investment funding for rural water services

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, has announced a third round of funding under the multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2024-2026. The funding provides much needed capital investment to improve water services in rural areas.

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.

Announcing the investment, Minister Browne said:

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.

Following the completion of an assessment process which included a critical evaluation by an independent Expert Panel of the applications received, the Minister has approved funding of almost €74 million for 291 individual capital projects across the country.

Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan said:

The funding announced today is in addition to previous support, including:

• 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

The funding being provided to the Rural Water Sector today is a strong example of the government’s ongoing investment and commitment to the future social, environmental and economic development of rural Ireland and to investing in water infrastructure.

In January 2024, local authorities were invited to work with the rural water sector — particularly group water schemes — to submit funding applications for projects under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2024–2026.

Each application was evaluated through a two-stage process:

• Stage 1 – Assessment of eligibility under the programme’s terms and conditions
• Stage 2 – Independent evaluation by an Expert Panel, which assessed each application and proposed project against the programme objectives and made funding recommendations to the Minister

Nearly 900 applications were received across eight of the nine funding measures under the programme, with Measure A8 having been dealt with previously. These applications were reviewed by an Expert Panel for assessment and recommendation. Under an independent Chairperson, the Panel includes representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, Uisce Éireann, independent expertise in the rural water sector and technical expertise from the department.

To date, 263 projects were recommended by the Expert Panel and approved for funding under the programme, with funding for a further 291 projects approved today.

The projects approved for funding today are from the list of measures set out below:

• Measure A1 – Source protection: This measure, aimed at protecting the water source of group water schemes - as part of a multi-barrier approach – is an important barrier in the protection of drinking water quality. Approval is given to five projects requiring funding of €165,270. The projects, when completed, will benefit over 3,400 households
• Measure A2 – Water quality compliance: Water treatment provides the most important barrier in the protection of drinking water quality. Improving water quality in existing group water schemes through the upgrading of their treatment facilities is the aim of this measure. Approval is given to 14 projects requiring funding of just under €900,000. The projects will benefit almost 3,000 households when completed
• Measure A4 – Water conservation, leakage reduction and prevention. Funding is available for water conservation to improve the level of leakage and for infrastructure upgrades, including abstraction and distribution systems, storage and pumping stations. Approval is given to 126 projects requiring funding of just under €23.2 million. The projects will benefit almost 29,000 households when completed
• Measure A5 – Extensions to existing private group water schemes and new group water schemes: Funding is available where a public water supply network is not available or planned and individual domestic water supplies (private wells) are not a sustainable and viable option. Funding of over €2 million is approved for 15 projects. The projects will benefit more than 200 households when completed
• Measure A6 – Taking-in-charge of Group Water Schemes: This measure enables the taking-in-charge by Uisce Éireann of group water schemes. Approval is given to 122 projects requiring funding of €45.5 million. The projects will benefit over 14,000 households currently when completed
• Measure A7 – Community Water Connections: Funding is provided under this measure for expanding the coverage of piped water supplies from the public (Uisce Éireann) network. Funding of over €2.1 million being approved for one project. The project, when completed, will benefit almost 160 households
• Measure A9 – Innovation and demonstration projects: The focus of the measure is to encourage and support new and innovative approaches to challenges within the Rural Water Sector. Funding of over €63,000 is approved for eight projects. The projects, when completed, will benefit circa 14,000 households with the potential to benefit the wider water services sector over time

Full details of the projects approved for funding and the local authority concerned.

Approval of funding under MARWP 2024-2026 by local authority