Subsidy Review

Rural Water News Spring 2006
New format ADC
successful NFGWS conference
NFGWS Board members
and delegates from 13 GWS
Federations were in Athlone
on Wednesday, 15 March,
for the first ever annual
conference to be held on a
midweek evening.
And confirming the success
of the new format, delegates
unanimously agreed to repeat
the experiment next year!
The keynote address by
NFGWS chairperson,
Brendan O’Mahony, set the
tone for what was an upbeat
and positive conference,
while NFGWS secretary,
Tony Prendiville’s report
reflected what can only be
described as a remarkable
year of infrastructural development
on group water
schemes, nowhere more so
than in the western seaboard
counties.
And as a backdrop to the
conference, the recent
announcement of a record
allocation under the RWP for
2006 confirmed in delegates
minds that there would be no
slow-down in the pace of
development this year.
O’Mahony
In the course of his address,
Mr O’Mahony reflected on
the major infrastructural
achievements of 2005 and on
the potential for further
progress in 2006. Addressing
the changing environment in
which GWS function, he
continued:
‘Besides your efforts in
securing infrastructure for a
modern water supply service,
the usual business of distributing
water to customers,
scouring mains and keeping
the accounts in order, could
not be neglected. I want to
pay tribute to the spirit of
voluntarism which remains
the bedrock of our group
scheme sector. Long may this
spirit continue to flourish,
because what is certain is that
rural Ireland would be a lot
poorer without the dedication
and commitment of voluntary
community activists.
Community Service
‘I raise this point because I
feel that a community-owned
and community-run water
supply service will always
rely on a local voluntary
committee to oversee the
smooth running of their business
and to plan effectively
for its development as a vital
community service. Having
said that, what has become
increasingly clear is that the
administrative workload on
schemes is likely to grow in
the years ahead beyond what
a voluntary committee might
be able to cope with and I
know that many schemes feel
nervous about this. The need
for part-time or full-time
management and staffing of
group schemes is an issue
which can’t be long-fingered.
Viability
‘But it is an issue which has
to be considered as part of an
analysis of the viability of
individual schemes. For
smaller schemes, in particular,
the questions of financing
upgrades, paying for treated
water and the long-term management
of their scheme, is a
potentially huge headache.
The solution is clear, if not
always easy; we must create
viable group schemes
through a process of rationalisation
and amalgamation.
‘For this reason, the
NFGWS Board, management
and staff are actively pursuing
a policy of encouraging
smaller schemes to amalgamate
with their neighbours to
create sufficient mass, not
only to pay for upgrading,
but also to ensure that the
future running of their water
service can be adequately
resourced. While we accept
that this is a tough decision
for schemes to make,
nonetheless it is a matter of
survival.
‘The amalgamation process
is already paying dividends
for schemes in Cavan and, as
part of DBO upgrades, there
are moves at present to amalgamate
schemes in Mayo,
Galway and Roscommon.
More needs to be done in this
area, however, and the
Federation is willing to work
with all schemes to discuss
their options.
‘And speaking of smaller
schemes, we agree with the
EPA that steps must now be
taken to address the needs of
tiny schemes which come
under the terms of the water
quality regulations by virtue
of their supplying a business
or social centre. An evaluation
of this sector is urgently
required in every local
authority area and this should
be completed in 2006.’
Brendan O’Mahony delivering the key-note address to delegates attending the 9th Federation ADC. Above:
Andrew Fuller of McArdle, Cassidy & McQuaid, auditors to the National Federation of Group Water Schemes.
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