23 February 2009
Green Party Local Election candidate Cllr. Dominick Donnelly has welcomed €1,424,000 to improve water quality in local group water schemes in South Cork. The Rural Water Programme for 2009 allocates funding from the Department of Environment to prevent pollution, improve sewerage schemes and upgrade existing water supplies.
Cllr. Donnelly said: “Despite cutbacks the Green Party managed to increase water funding by 19 per cent in Budget 2009. This is to ensure the future security of our vital water supplies.
“It’s very easy to take for granted the clean, reliable water supply from our taps, but as the people in Galway well know, if anything goes wrong it can be disastrous for the whole community.
“I warmly welcome this funding, particularly for the community owned group water schemes, which provide water for homes, farms and local businesses. This funding will also help keep our rivers and lakes pollution-free.”
Rural Water programme 2009 provides:
· €100 million for upgrading rural water supplies
· €67 million to improve water quality in group schemes with private sources, such as rivers, lakes and boreholes
· €5 million for new group water schemes and for extensions of existing schemes to cater for growing rural communities
· €29 million for improvements to smaller public water and sewerage schemes
· €40 million will be spent on new water treatment facilities
Dominick Donnelly 