Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations and for attending today. My colleague, Senator Malcolm Byrne, will talk about the specific localised contamination issues and Deputy Cathal Crowe is also here. I wish to talk about Irish Water in a broader context. While recognising the significant improvements and progress that have been made and also recognising the challenges, we need to have this conversation in the context of the social and economic challenge with housing and the housing crisis that is affecting everybody of every age. One of the big concerns of the general public is that it is eight years since the establishment of Irish Water and in that time there was a decade of undersupply of housing, which we are now trying to respond to with Housing for All. However, what concerns me is that I do not see in the presentations today how the organisation is geared up to deliver on Housing for All. When I talk to people and councillors in every local authority around the country, from County Donegal to County Kerry to County Louth, there are issues with water quality, contamination issues, boil water notices and capacity issues in the water supply and in wastewater treatment. I am repeatedly told by local authority members, members of the public and stakeholders in the construction industry that one of the greatest barriers to increasing housing supply is a lack of water and wastewater treatment infrastructure. I will send Mr. Gleeson an email afterwards as I will not go through every example I have, but I can give multiple examples of housing developments of 15, 30 or 100 houses that are being held up. Representatives of the CCMA are present and I want to hear from them in reply as well. The CCMA and the local authorities will complete housing needs assessments this year for every local authority. That is a very important development in helping us to understand where the housing need is and, most importantly, where housing delivery is going to be targeted.

I want to understand from the three parties represented today. For the Department, there are the planning delays. Three to five years is unsustainable. That is basically saying we are adding three to five years to the housing crisis. We need a plan to reduce that timescale. We need to know in respect of the housing needs assessments that are being completed by every local authority that Irish Water and its capital plans are tied into that, so there is an understanding in every local authority of where it can plan and deliver homes. I want a response from the three bodies on that issue.