Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will speak about the issue that flows through every aspect of our daily lives, that is, our water infrastructure. Water is not just a utility. It is a cornerstone of public health, economic growth, environmental protection and housing development. Yet, across our capital, in my constituency in Dún Laoghaire and in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area, the very system we rely on is under growing strain as the Minister has alluded to.

Let us begin with the reality that 1.7 million people in the greater Dublin area currently depend on the River Liffey for approximately 85% of their water. This single-source dependency is unsustainable. It leaves us vulnerable to drought, contamination and population pressures. Uisce Éireann has rightly called this a lack of resilience. We simply do not have the supply capacity to meet the demands of our growing economy and housing needs. That is not a forecast; it is a fact. Now, to be clear, progress is being made. Between 2020 and 2024, Uisce Éireann invested more than €5 billion upgrading infrastructure nationwide. In 2023 alone, it completed works on 42 new or upgraded wastewater treatment plants and nine water treatment plants and laid hundreds of kilometres of new mains. The Government has backed this effort. For 2025, Uisce Éireann has received €2.2 billion in Exchequer funding, including €514 million in equity investment from budget 2025. A new strategic funding plan has been approved, with €16.9 billion being completed by 2029, of which €10.3 billion is for capital investment and €6.6 billion for operations. This is the largest investment ever in our water infrastructure. However, investment alone is not enough because demand is outpacing delivery.

Let us take housing, for instance. We have an ambitious Government programme targeted at increasing housing supply. All too often, however, developments are delayed, not just by planning objections but also by infrastructural constraints. We must remember that no pipes equal no homes. Statutory timelines for water connections are being introduced, which is very welcome. We need to go further, however, ensuring pre-planning co-ordination between developers, planners and Uisce Éireann on projects of 100 units or more. The small towns and villages growth programme must be expanded, particularly to unlock infill housing and social development in rural and coastal areas.

A second critical challenge is wastewater. As the Minister will be aware, Dublin Bay is a natural treasure. It is part of our tourism identity and environmental heritage. It has prided itself as being the biosphere for Dublin, and that is worked on across three local authorities in the capital. However, the Environmental Protection Agency has flagged persistent water quality issues linked to sewage overflows and outdated infrastructure. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, we are particularly sensitive to these issues. Bathing waters like Sandycove, Seapoint and the Forty Foot are regularly monitored, and occasionally closed, due to these overflows during storms.

The greater Dublin drainage, GDD, project, with its €1.2 billion budget, is designed to fix that. It will create a new regional wastewater treatment facility serving north Dublin, Meath and Kildare. The planning decision is now with An Bord Pleanála. We need that decision urgently. Every delay impacts water quality and public confidence.

What needs to happen? First, we need to complete and fund the eastern and midlands water supply project, WSP. This €4.6 billion to €6 billion project will source water from the Shannon river, as the Minister outlined, supplying 2.5 million people and freeing up Liffey water for surrounding counties. Second, we must prioritise investment in wastewater networks. Too many communities still discharge untreated water, which is unacceptable in 2025. We must bring all schemes and networks into compliance with EU law. Third, we must expedite the reform of An Bord Pleanála so that strategic infrastructure can be approved in a timely manner. Projects such as the WSP and GDD take five to ten years from design to completion. Certainty in planning is critical to cost control and delivery. Fourth, we must review the national development plan to ensure that capital investment matches our revised housing targets and not the other way around. We must also enhance collaboration. Uisce Éireann must continue working with public representatives, local authorities, public health professionals, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and communities to align infrastructure with actual growth, not just projections.

Let us not use this moment to assign blame or play party politics with water. The issue is too serious for that. We need to continue to build stronger pipes to allow for cleaner water and a future where Dublin Bay is swimmable, homes are buildable and taps flow freely from Sutton to Sandycove and beyond.

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