The Department of Finance has expressed confidence that money designated for the clean-up of the State's group water schemes will be spent between now and the end of 2000.
About half of the State's group water schemes tested earlier this year fell short of EU standards for clean water. In a number of cases the private water schemes were polluted with E-coli bacteria. Last year the EU-funded Operational Programme for Environmental Services earmarked some £4 million for improvements in the group schemes but the programme was under-spent by up to 30 per cent.
In addition, funds for the management of hazardous waste were also underspent by 20 per cent while there was also a shortfall of some 30 per cent in spending on sustainable resource management.
However, a spokeswoman for the Department said the "likelihood" was that the budgets would be fully spent by the end of 2000.
