Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Uisce Éireann for coming in to meet me recently. It was a very good and informative meeting. I understand that it plays a critical role in managing one of the most essential services that we all rely on every day. Uisce Éireann had a huge portfolio when it began ten years ago, including the treatment of infrastructure and environmental standards. It is really doing its best. However, since being elected to this House, I am not happy with the fact that, as Deputy O'Flynn noted earlier, no one is accountable.

In a question on 5 February 2025, I asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications about the investment that is planned to modernise the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant to prevent pollution in Dublin Bay, and if he would make a statement on the matter. The question was disallowed, however, because, under the Water Services Act, the Minister cannot give directions to Uisce Éireann. On 19 February, I asked a question of another Minister with regard to ensuring that Dublin Bay is protected considering the urgent environmental need to address pollution and the issues of continuous run-off, and it was again disallowed under the same Act. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives but when I contact it online, it takes five or six weeks to get a response. It is not acceptable, especially having being elected by the people of Dublin Bay North to look after the bay, which was a huge part of my mandate. I was endorsed by the family of Seán Dublin Bay Loftus, who did great things in the past to protect Dublin Bay for us right now. Otherwise, it would have been filled in, which was the plan at the time.

In another question, I asked if the Taoiseach could provide a clear timeline for the completion of the upgrade of the works at the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant, given the ongoing public health and environmental concerns arising from its capacity issues, and to outline the immediate measures the Government is taking to prevent the continued discharge of untreated wastewater into Dublin Bay. I measured this myself and could see from the levels that E. coli was at 3,000 ppm, which is six times the safe limit for people to be swimming. I know of multiple residents who swim in Dublin Bay at Dollymount beach and Howth and who have been getting ear infections or getting very sick. We need to look into this. Dublin Bay is not just for north Dublin but also for south Dublin. Sadly, due to the development of the port, as I saw in simulations, when there is a run-off, the water gets pulled out with a plume of E. coli, and when the tide comes back in, this circulates and hits the north strand, which is where everyone swims. It is very sad to see. Other countries have changed the way the water gets taken in and out by the tides. We need to look into this in order to save and protect Dublin Bay and the swimmers. I would like to see investment by Uisce Éireann and the Government in oyster farms that can be used as a filtering system, and after the oysters have lived their cycle, we can grind them down for fertiliser. We need to provide real, organic solutions that can give encouragement and improve Dublin Bay.

We cannot talk about housing, which is the biggest issue that the Government will be judged on, without talking about water. It does not work. We need to plan our water services and modern investment or we are not going to reach our housing targets. We simply cannot do it. I welcome that Uisce Éireann is currently enabling delivery through targeted infrastructure upgrades, which is progress, but demand is far outpacing current supply. I welcome the contribution of Deputy Ó Muirí and I agree with him in most part. Whether it is wastewater treatment capacity or connection timelines, outdated systems are limiting our ability to deliver homes at scale. As we have discussed in this debate on Uisce Éireann, in many areas Ireland’s water network is decades behind where it needs to be. Some pipelines that are still used were laid in the 18th or 19th century. That is not just an issue for Dublin; it is for everyone, and Deputy O'Flynn spoke of the situation in Cork. This is a public risk. It means leaks, people getting sick and burst pipes, and it will continue to increase maintenance costs. A recent article suggested that we lose approximately 37% of treated water every single day. That is treated, pumped and purified. Money has gone into this water but it is gone; it is lost. That is ridiculous.

I welcome the current capital plan, which is a step forward. I am not just going to give out because it would be easy to do that about Uisce Éireann. I understand that it has a long-term vision. I encourage Members to work with it. We need to put in the framework, the funding and the policy, put the political will behind it and really push Uisce Éireann on this. Let us be honest. This is a multi-decade project and it is going to cost billions of euro. I saw in a recent estimate from Uisce Éireann that it is going to cost over €60 billion in the next 25 years to modernise our national water infrastructure but it needs to be done. When we compare that to the economic cost of inaction, we need to do it now. Similar to the climate goals that I referred to earlier, we need to face this now.

There was a €300 million loan from the European Investment Bank and while I get a bit of confidence from that, it is just a start. We need sustained investment from the Government and the EU to really deliver what is required.

Many people were without power and water during recent storms. We must make every single part of our infrastructure a top priority, be it the grid or water. We cannot wait for the next storm to highlight the fragility of our systems, because we know for a fact that when it comes, we will be given out to again by the same people who just poke holes and never offer solutions.

We need joined-up thinking. As a councillor, I saw what happens in local authorities. There must be clearer communication between local authorities, the planning bodies, the Department of housing and the Department of the environment. We need to work together because at the moment it seems that there is no communication. It is as if we are all acting in our own way. Everything needs to be done together.

I welcome this debate. We should fast-track the upgrade of our water infrastructure. I urge Uisce Éireann to do that. With the new sensitive planning developments, it needs to be done correctly.

I have heard rumours that there is a plan for an Uisce Éireann pipe going down the promenade in Clontarf - the same pipe that was planned 14 years ago, to which the locals strenuously objected. Does the Department have any information on whether it is intended to do that? Given that the locals objected very strongly to a proposed berm that was going to completely remove the promenade and make it unsafe for people to walk at nighttime, we need to know if Uisce Éireann is planning to do that again. We just had the cycle track opened up for Fairview and now it is planned to do another one to two-year development, ripping up the cycle track again. There must be another solution.

Let us not plan for the next election in five or ten years' time. We must work collectively to make water infrastructure a top-tier national priority. We owe it to our constituents. I owe it to mine. I got elected on this mandate. Dublin Bay deserves to be clean for our future and for future children.

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