Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, regarding the new initiative that will allow private sector involvement in developing wastewater systems for smaller housing developments of up to 40 homes. This initiative is a crucial step towards addressing the infrastructure deficit in rural areas, particularly in County Kerry, where housing development has been long restricted by a lack of adequate wastewater facilities. By enabling developers to collaborate with Uisce Éireann on low-volume wastewater systems, the Government is providing a much-needed solution that will accelerate housing delivery in areas that are currently stifled by infrastructure bottlenecks. This will help to alleviate some of the pressure on our smaller towns and villages where housing demand has far outpaced the availability of wastewater treatment options. In my own county, over 40 villages do not have any wastewater treatment facilities, while a number of others have been at capacity for 20 or 25 years. Constructed wetlands, as I previously mentioned in the House, are a cheaper and faster way to provide wastewater treatment and they are environmentally friendly. However, this is a positive move.

It is essential to recognise that wastewater infrastructure alone will not solve the broader housing crisis in rural Ireland. In counties like Kerry we also face significant policy challenges that prevent many families from building homes on their own land. The national planning framework and the 2005 sustainable rural housing guidelines currently restrict many rural applicants from building family homes, especially when their land is located outside designated areas for housing development. There is a circle around most towns and villages in Kerry where no development is allowed unless you are actively farming. These are towns and villages that are supposed to be under strong urban pressure. This has to be removed or at the very least, the planning restrictions must be eased. These guidelines, though well intentioned, have often led to unintended consequences in rural communities. Many families who want to build on their own land or buy a site to build a home are unable to do so because of restrictions that were designed for a different era, when rural populations were much smaller. Kerry's rural communities in particular are struggling with these outdated policies which have hindered housing growth and caused unnecessary hardship for local families and communities.

While the Minister's initiative on wastewater infrastructure is an important part of the puzzle, it must be complemented by a more flexible and forward-thinking approach to planning policy. Local authorities must be given greater discretion to approve developments based on local needs rather than being bound by rigid national guidelines that fail to reflect the realities on the ground. We are in the middle of a housing crisis, as we all know, and we must not lose sight of that. The current planning policy and conditions and the lack of infrastructure is forcing applicants onto our housing lists. Many of these are in a position to build a house and they can afford it, and they can afford also to get a mortgage, but we are forcing them, through these policies, onto our housing lists. The Minister's announcement yesterday is an important step towards addressing the pressing need for infrastructure development in Kerry. It is critical that we continue to look at innovative solutions for wastewater systems that will allow for faster, more sustainable development in rural areas. As I have referenced already, constructed wetlands are a far speedier and cost-effective option. Where necessary, two or three can be constructed, for example. In Beaufort, just outside Killarney, two years ago, €6 million was announced for a sewerage scheme. I was told recently by Uisce Éireann that it will take at least another seven years. That is almost ten years, which is not good enough and needs to be addressed. As I have outlined, we must also address the broader issue of planning restrictions that continue to prevent many families in Kerry and throughout Ireland from building a family home on their own land.

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