Wastewater Treatment

Thursday, 13 November 2025

Ceisteanna (320)

Michael Cahill

Ceist:

320. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an unprecedented large investment will now be made through Uisce Éireann and Local Authorities to progress the provision of modern, increased capacity, wastewater treatment plants in all of our towns and villages, as the present situation is having a highly negative effect on health, the environment and housing supply; if he and Uisce Éireann will adhere to my consistent calls for the development of constructed wetlands, as they are a much cheaper form of treatment, much speedier to develop and are environmentally friendly; if he will consider County Kerry as a pilot study where over 40 of our villages are unsewered and others are at capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62509/25]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The revised NDP of €12.2 billion for the water sector represents the largest ever capital investment in the history of water services and water quality and will support the upgrading of our water and wastewater infrastructure to support the delivery of a wide range of projects and programmes in our cities and regions to facilitate housing development.

I will publish a sectoral investment plan for Water Services and Water Quality in the coming days that sets out the capital projects and programmes that are to be prioritised within these allocations over the next five years.

However, it should be noted that Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects and programmes is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures.