Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

I have some simple and practical suggestions to help with the delivery of infrastructure on budget and on time. In the case of the three projects in which Uisce Éireann has been involved in Limerick so far, it has not come in within budget or on time. Accountability is needed within that sector because we are not getting value for money. The Department of public expenditure could deliver more infrastructure if Uisce Éireann were more efficient.

When it comes to the delivery of developer-led infrastructure, something we could do is have it overseen by the local authorities and then given back to Uisce Éireann. There would be a business there that has to deliver the project on budget and on time. This would help the Minister to deliver more infrastructure, which would allow him to deal with the big housing demand by building more houses.

I am here to try to help the Minister based on the experience I have. I was in construction all my life and am still in construction. For the record, I do infrastructure for our own works but I do not do any infrastructure for the Government or local authorities. Even so, I have experience of how to deliver infrastructure on time and on budget. I want to help. Is what I am suggesting something the Government would consider? I spoke to the Taoiseach about this previously. If we look at the delivery of infrastructure outside of Uisce Éireann, we can get more delivery within budget and on time. A lot of contractors who work for local authorities doing different works are not eligible to go on to do Government contracts. A change in approach would help to deliver smaller infrastructure projects that need to be delivered.

I accept that the Minister only has a certain amount to spend in each budget. However, there is a practical solution in respect of smaller infrastructure projects that would allow for development in areas where he cannot invest at the moment. That solution is to separate water from sewerage. It is a simple exercise. For all new housing estates, and even the older housing estates built in recent years, we would have a sewerage system that comes to the main road and we have water. When they get to the main road, they are combined and taken to the sewerage plant. It is becoming a major problem in many towns, and even in the likes of Limerick city, with which I am well familiar, that all the work is done on site and then the water and sewage are brought to the main road and put together and taken to the treatment plant. I have in mind Croom treatment plant, which has a capacity 200 cu. m. It never presents an issue during the summer but during the winter it is over capacity because it is dealing with 70% water.

My proposal could help the Minister with delivery. Water separators could be used in an area to separate the water from the sewage. The systems in place have the capacity to allow for more housing by removing water. It is something that has not been brought to him by Uisce Éireann because that body is looking at massive developments. I am talking about towns and villages with a population of 2,000 or 3,000, which have potential to be developed further, rather than the Minister looking only at the bigger projects where there is a large housing need. There is a degree of discriminating against the person who cannot get an upgrade of infrastructure because the Minister has to go where the large numbers are to try to facilitate the greatest number of people. This is something I can help with. We can help to deliver more housing around the country by tweaking the existing infrastructure at a lower cost, which would give the Minister more housing delivery and take the pressure off him to invest in different places. It is about treating the water rather than treating the sewage. Is this something the Department would look at, taking on board the experience of people around the country who can help, outside of Uisce Éireann?