Dick has welcomed the additional funding of €551,000 that has been provided to Wicklow County Council towards the running costs of their water and sewerage treatment plants and the sampling and licensing costs associated with water services.

Today’s funding is in addition to the funding made available earlier in the year under the Local Government Fund and the Water Services Investment Programme.

“One of aspects for which funding has been provided for on this occasion is to offset sampling costs to establish compliance with drinking water and wastewater effluent standards and licence application fees to the Environmental Protection Agency for wastewater discharges.   This will allow Wicklow County Council improve the standard of water quality and to check the quality of discharges into Wicklow’s rivers and coastal waters. By improving in these areas Wicklow County Council can ensure that the water courses in County Wicklow meet the highest environmental standards and hopefully contribute to a number of beaches in the County regaining Blue Flag Status” said Minister Roche.