Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)

We learned this week that the Government has again misled the public. The funding announced for Irish Water to support increased housing supply was not actually additional funding, but just a different way of funding the current programme. We have heard that directly from the chairman of Irish Water. I am sure the Tánaiste will deny that, but he cannot deny the reality on the ground.

There are many towns and villages across County Galway, such as Corofin, Ardrahan, Monivea, Abbeyknockmoy and many more, where we cannot have new housing delivery because we do not have adequate wastewater infrastructure. We have constraints on capacity in towns like Tuam. Craughwell is getting an upgrade, but it will be years before that is built.

The Government's failure to invest is stalling the delivery of new housing. When is the Government going to take this seriously and deliver improved infrastructure to enable delivery of new housing? What is it going to take? Is it going to take all of our young people leaving the country, or another 5,000 children becoming homeless? It is time to wake up and invest in housing infrastructure.

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