asked the Minister for the Environment if he will confirm that local contributions are being paid to group water supply schemes on the advice of his Department, and if he will make a statement on the matter.

21.

asked the Minister for the Environment if he will confirm whether he has introduced new regulations requiring that 90 per cent of group water supply scheme local contributions be collected and the contractor appointed before his Department will allocate grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 21 together.

Group scheme grants are payable on the basis of a proportion of the cost of providing individual water supplies and it is therefore essential for groups to collect local contributions to meet the balance of the cost. I have not introduced regulations requiring groups to collect 90 per cent of the local contributions for their schemes and to appoint contractors before grants are allocated to enable them to proceed. In cases where there is reason to believe that groups may not be in a position to collect the local contributions necessary to pay for their schemes, my Department pay particular regard to the total amount of contributions raised locally when deciding whether grants should be allocated for them.

Is it not true that the Department are requiring, if not 90 per cent, that a very large proportion of the local contribution be collected before any grants are allocated and that this rule is proving unworkable? Because of this, activity in the group water supply scheme area has been almost brought to a halt, as I am sure the statistics the Minister is circulating in tabular form will show.

This is not the case. The Deputy is suggesting that the group scheme has been brought to a halt but grants were allocated for 34 new schemes in the first quarter of this year and a total of 1,723 grants were allocated for new schemes and existing schemes over the same period. What the Deputy says is not fact.

Tell us the number of grants paid.

Is the Minister aware that, not alone are the Department requesting these contributions, but that they are insisting on them? The result is that many group water schemes are paying substantial bank overdrafts on money they should have received from the Department.

I said no regulations have been introduced or proposed whereby groups would be required to collect 90 per cent of local contributions. That is a statement of fact.

That contradicts the position on the ground.

Would the Minister accept that his officials are introducing new procedures which do not involve regulations and that this has come about in the last three months? Would he also accept that since a recent television programme on group water schemes there has been a great change in the operation of the group water schemes by his Department?

Local inspectors are probably being much more cautious in their approach to group water schemes as a result of that programme and a certain amount of laxity in certain areas. They require that the money be put up front before work proceeds but this is only a cautionary measure which any prudent inspector would require to ensure that at the end of the day the group water scheme will be carried out and funds will be available.

Local inspectors were always cautious.

A final supplementary from Deputy Leonard.

Would the Minister agree that a circular issued by his Department dealing with additional inspections has held up the payment of schemes? Is the Minister satisfied that there is an adequate number of inspectors to carry out these spot inspections?

It was reasonable to increase the number of spot inspections as a result of certain occurrences last year. The requirement of one-in-ten seemed too wide and it was necessary to increase the number of spot inspections.

Is the Minister aware that the volume of work in the group water supply scheme area has dropped dramatically in the last six months? Is that correct?

I told the Deputy what happened this quarter. I think he is aware that because of the programme which has been carried out there is a tapering off in this area and the necessity for water schemes.

How much money, if any, has been paid out in the last six months compared with the same period in the previous year?

I do not have that information.

22.