Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Tá fadhb againn i gCiarraí le fuíolluisce agus leis an gcóras cóireála fuíolluisce. Ag an bpointe seo anuraidh bhíomar ag feithimh le fógra ó Uisce Éireann mar gheall ar infheistíocht i bhfuíolluisce i gCiarraí. We have a serious problem in County Kerry with wastewater treatment systems. This time last year we were waiting for an announcement from Irish Water that at the end of quarter 1 we would have good news in regard to a list of villages around the county where investment would be made available for the enhancement or replacement of wastewater treatment systems and plants around the county. In June we eventually received notification that the Kilcummin sewerage system and the Kenmare wastewater treatment plant upgrade would be included in the Irish Water capital investment plan as capital projects. The only others to be mentioned were Fenit, or An Fhianait, and Knightstown, or An Chois, on Valentia Island. It seemed that those wastewater treatment plants were to be included in another scheme, the small towns and villages growth programme, but the latest I have heard is that no further upgrades are anticipated under the current programme for any other small towns or villages around the county.

In Abbeydorney, there is a huge issue with development. Everybody knows how difficult it is to find GPs who will open surgeries in small villages. A proposed new GP surgery, which is so badly needed and is currently operating out of a couple of rooms in a community centre, is stalled because there is no wastewater treatment system in place in Abbeydorney, despite three or four estates having been built over the past 20 years. In Fenit money was promised in June of last year. It is currently not possible to build more than two houses in Fenit. A possible hotel is also proposed in anticipation of the Tralee to Fenit greenway, which is supposed to open this summer. There is an anticipated influx of tourists and day-trippers who will go to Fenit and allow Fenit to achieve its potential. However, without news of any movement on the wastewater treatment plant, that is not possible.

All around the rest of the county, in Glenbeigh, Rathmore and Duagh, the lack of investment flies in the face of plans to prioritise towns and villages and to invest in communities and long-established settlements.

It is deeply frustrating when we contact planners about a proposed development, whether it is residential or commercial, and time and again we are told that we have to get a report from Irish Water and that people who are applying for planning permission must obtain that report before the investment or development can take place. In Castlegregory, which is right beside the sea, the system is no more than a holding tank, which is a large septic tank about 100 yd from the sea. It is completely unacceptable from an environmental, residential, and developmental point of view.

In the past, when Kerry County Council had control and responsibility for water, it carried out works on treatment plants in Castleisland, Dingle, Listowel, Cahersiveen, Ballybunion, Milltown and Tralee. Irish Water has been working on the water system and even though I was not a fan of the establishment of Irish Water and I was against it at the time, to give credit where it is due, it has done some good work on the water system, but it is not doing enough on wastewater. It was a mistake to take that responsibility away from Kerry County Council. It is hard to think of a single case, be it refuse, housing, health, or orthopaedic surgeries, where a better service or a cheaper and better value service was provided when it was outsourced. We had a list last year and we still have a totally inadequate wastewater system. We had the Fenit announcement but we are waiting. We had Kilcummin on a smaller scale but we are still waiting on that. Will the Minister of State enlighten me as to what is happening with this?

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Daly for raising this issue today. I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. This allows me the opportunity to outline the position in respect of Irish Water's responsibility on this matter.

The Water Services Acts 2007 to 2017 set out the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Irish Water, and for the scrutiny and oversight provisions that apply in respect of these arrangements. As the Deputy will understand, the provision of facilities in Kerry is a matter for Irish Water in the first instance. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Irish Water takes a strategic nationwide approach to asset planning and investment and meeting customer requirements. The prioritisation and progression of individual projects and programmes is a matter for determination by Irish Water.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has made inquiries with Irish Water on the issue mentioned by Deputy Daly. Irish Water will have invested more than €80 million cumulatively in water services in Kerry on more than 20 capital projects from 2014 to the end of 2024. These include some of the good projects referred to by the Deputy earlier. These capital projects are targeted at improved quality and capacity improvements. There are currently two Irish Water capital projects in the planning stage, which the Deputy referred to, including the Kenmare wastewater treatment plant and the Kilcummin wastewater network, which will aim to protect the environment and quality of receiving waters, increase capacity, and facilitate future growth.

Irish Water's investment under the national leakage reduction programmes or capital maintenance programmes that are targeted at maintenance and replacement of assets to improve levels of service is not included in that €80 million figure.

In addition to the investment just detailed, there are projects now progressing as part of the small towns and villages programme in Fenit and Knightstown, which the Deputy also mentioned. Irish Water has an allocation of almost €100 million for its small towns and villages growth programme. To date, Irish Water has announced 37 projects across 27 local authority areas. There is also further investment in leakage reduction and mains rehabilitation of €22 million since 2017. More general information on Irish Water investment is available from the capital investment plan explanatory document, which is available on the Irish Water website,www.water.ie.

The Government is aware that significant and sustainable investment is needed to ensure the continued operation, upgrade and repair of the country's water and wastewater infrastructure, and to support economic growth in the years to come. In this regard, as part of budget 2022 the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has secured funding of more than €1.57 billion to support water services. This includes €1.459 billion in respect of domestic water services provision by Irish Water. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, will support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and will support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine areas.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State. There is no copy of the Minister of State's reply. This has been happening. It is not just this Minister of State. It is hit and miss with replies. It also happened yesterday when there were just two scripts available. Just for the record, Deputies are entitled to the scripts in relation to the Topical Issue replies.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I can furnish this to the Deputy. I apologise; I had meant to have them.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I understand that but it has been happening more often.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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I thank Minister of State for his reply. I took some notes on what the Minister of State said and while the amount of investment is welcome, it does not seem to be translating into any proposed developments for the towns and villages I mentioned. Is Castlegregory going to have to wait? When the Fenit project was announced last year, it said it was a five-year programme. Is that programme still going ahead? Does the Minister of State have any information about that? If he does not have the information here perhaps he will get it to me. Is that programme still on track for Fenit?

The Minister of State mentioned €100 million for 37 projects in 27 local authority areas. With the small towns and villages programme, it seems there are only two proposed for Kerry. I do not believe this is enough in a county that suffers from peripherality. The programme for Government is supposed to enhance the small smaller towns and villages to bring people in, to move away from one-off rural development and bring people into villages. There seems to be a complete contradiction between what is in the programme for Government and what is being delivered on the ground. Nothing has been delivered on the ground for the people in Glenbeigh, Abbeydorney, Duagh and Rathmore. There seems to be a lot of money invested but if I had my way it would be given back to Kerry County Council which could co-ordinate the whole project. Water services in the county were moved to a specific place in Castleisland. Expertise was built up over many years and was in one place, but now there is too much pulling and dragging. There does not seem to be a co-ordinated approach. It is deeply frustrating for the people who are in those villages, for those who cannot develop and for those who cannot move back from the cities given the opportunities now for remote working. That is being hindered by the lack of investment in those places.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for the follow-on remarks on the provision of water treatment facilities in County Kerry. I assure him the Government is committed to ensuring substantial funding is provided to Irish Water, as I outlined in my response. The programme for Government commits to funding Irish Water's capital investment plan for water and wastewater infrastructure on a multi-annual basis. This is very important because we know that in the past, particularly for a local authorities and others, having a deadline whereby money had to be spent by the end of the year does not lead to good value for money. In addition, the National Development Plan 2021-2030 commits to almost €6 billion in capital investment by Irish Water in the period 2021 to 2025, of which more than €4.5 billion will be voted expenditure funding for domestic water services.

We are making progress on the challenges we face, and the Government will continue to deliver strongly on the commitments to water services contained in the programme for Government. The Deputy will understand that the progress of individual wastewater plants and infrastructure is a matter for Irish Water. As we modernise our infrastructure, it is inevitable that capacity constraints will arise in certain locations. The funding provided by this Government is ensuring water and wastewater infrastructure investment is supporting the Government's overall housing targets. I am assured by Irish Water that it is also committed to this agenda and that it will work closely with local authorities to ensure local development plan-led priorities are aligned as much as possible.

It may be helpful to note that Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted by email or phone, the details of which the Deputy will have. I am sorry I do not have individual details on Abbeydorney, Duagh or Castlegregory, but that was not mentioned in the Deputy's original Topical Issue matter and, therefore, I did not have that detail with me today. The Irish Water team is contactable through the dedicated Oireachtas line for those specific queries.