€2.8 million capital investment funding announced for Limerick Group Water schemes

€2.8 million capital investment funding announced for Limerick Group Water schemes

Limerick Group Water schemes are to benefit from more than €2.8 million in funding under the multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2024-2026

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, has announced a third round of funding under the multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2024-2026, which sees the government investing more than €76 million nationally in group water schemes.

In the announcement, the Minister revealed that rural group water schemes in Limerick are set to receive €2,843,342 in funding to provide 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.

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Announcing the investment, Minister Browne noted that “safe and reliable drinking water” was important to and enhances “the quality of life” for those living rurally in Ireland.

The Minister said, “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 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. This announcement today is very much part of that commitment and will support rural communities to thrive as places to live and work.”

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, including 16 projects in Limerick that will receive a share of the €2,843,342. The funding will benefit the water services of more than 1,700 domestic connections in County Limerick.

Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD 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 announced today will make a real difference to these parts of rural Ireland.”