116 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if an individual should be allowed obtain a grant for sinking their own well. [22827/01]

My Department, through the local authorities, is providing record levels of capital funding for the upgrading of quality deficient, privately sourced group water schemes. Under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, £420 million, 533 million, will be invested in the upgrading and renewal of rural water services infrastructure.

Last year I introduced a new 100% capital grant for the provision of essential water disinfection and treatment equipment in quality deficient group schemes, together with a substantial increase in the level of subsidy towards the operational cost of these facilities. At the same time I increased the grant for improvements to group water scheme storage and distribution systems to 85% of cost, subject to a maximum cost of £6,000 per house.