Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With respect to the Chairman, I wish to return, first, to a couple of points.

Arklow and Vartry are two very good examples mentioned there by the Chairman, one which relates to fresh and state-of-the-art drinking water supplies and plant in Vartry and then Arklow, where we have had untreated wastewater since virtually forever going into the Arklow River and polluting that area. We now have a €134 million investment into our wastewater treatment there. There are many other such examples. That is why it is important that we have the Irish Water programme of direct Exchequer funding of approximately €4.9 billion over the next number of years, but where it has sight of its capital plan of €6 billion between now and 2026.

To address the Chairman's question on a smaller settlement that has become urbanised, I expect those settlements to be dealt with where Irish Water has published its capacity plan and that these would be in its capital framework. It is not necessarily a legacy issue. It is an issue but I would not see it as falling under that programme and we will confirm the position there.

Very shortly, I am talking about a matter of weeks here, I intend to bring a programme forward that will partner with our local authorities in towns and villages, but mainly in villages and rural settlements that do not have any Irish Water wastewater infrastructure at all.

As part of the plan, the local authority would bring forward an acquired piece of land that has planning permission. We would assess that piece, provide a grant to the local authority to tender and procure those works and, when the works are completed, then hand them over.

For argument's sake, I visited communities such as Broadford, County Clare. It is quite a substantial settlement with no wastewater treatment at all. Unfortunately, there are approximately 665 settlements such as that all over the country. We will not fix them all overnight. However, I want to see a programme where Irish Water is advancing on one side and our local authorities can advance on the other.

We will open a fund, which I referenced it in my opening statement, and the local authorities will bring forward shovel-ready projects. I want stuff moving. I do not want to be coming forward with a plan that will take a long time. There are things we can do right now.

The level of investment in Irish Water by this Government is unprecedented. The Chair is right, as well, in that without the freshwater and wastewater infrastructure, we will not be able to deliver the houses that we need.