Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Decades of failures by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments to plan for the expansion of key water, wastewater and electricity infrastructure is part of the reason the same Governments have failed to get to grips with the housing crisis. I asked the then Minister for housing, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, about these issues in 2023. Typical to form, he denied there was a problem at all. He replied to me saying there was enough water supply and wastewater treatment at Uisce Éireann plants to support the need for housing developments. He was wrong; it was clearly not the case. This was symptomatic of his approach and of the inability of this Government to plan and prepare at all.

In my constituency, the Government's failure to address water and wastewater facilities has seen delays in delivering much-needed housing. In towns and villages across counties Cavan and Monaghan, we have local developers ready to build desperately needed houses. The reason they cannot is because of this Government's failures. In towns like Kingscourt and villages like Clontibret, builders are set to build houses but are prevented from doing so because local wastewater treatment plants are not up to standard. Where the plans do exist to upgrade the plants, the timeframe is years away. Where plans are not in place, we are talking about decades if the failed approach by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael continues. This means a worsening housing crisis, ever-increasing house prices and more and more of our young people leaving Ireland because it is the only chance they have of sourcing a home they can afford. Sinn Féin is demanding action. The incompetence must end. There must be proper investment in water, wastewater and energy infrastructure as well as in the planning system and the courts.

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