John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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7. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department has undertaken a review of utility infrastructure deficits in rural towns and villages; how these deficits are currently limiting the delivery of rural housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36137/25]

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Is the Department undertaking a review of utility infrastructure deficits in rural towns and villages and on how such deficits are currently limiting delivery of rural housing? Will the Minister make a statement on that?

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Clendennen for raising this important issue. Unfortunately, it is still the case that some rural towns and villages across the country require investment in infrastructure, be it in my area of west Cork or the Deputy's area of Offaly. It is something that to which the Government is committed to addressing.

Under section 10 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, it is a statutory requirement for each planning authority to include objectives in their development plan for the provision or facilitation of infrastructure. For new housing in smaller settlements, it is important to consider the type of appropriate infrastructure options that may support growth in these locations. Where no public wastewater network is available, individual homes may be provided with suitable individual wastewater treatment facilities, subject to compliance with the relevant environmental standards and requirements. Further information is available in the EPA's code of practice for domestic wastewater treatment systems.

It will be a matter for the respective local authorities to identify any other infrastructure deficits that may constrain housing delivery through their development plans. The Government is committed to investment in rural water services. As part of this commitment, my Department is investing in infrastructure to deliver improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where Uisce Éireann services are not currently available. More than €243 million is provided under the National Development Plan 2021-2030 over the period 2021 to 2025 for investment in non-Uisce Éireann water infrastructure. In addition, Uisce Éireann has a small towns and villages growth programme which will provide growth capacity in smaller settlements that would otherwise not be provided for in its capital investment plan.

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the reply but I want to give an example of a rural town in my area. Edenderry has a population of 8,000 and is within commuting distance of Dublin. Towns within its environs have grown, yet there will be no development from Uisce Éireann there until 2029. There is a key issue whereby theory and practice are not aligned. Offaly County Council referred to the delivery of wastewater capacity, as did Irish Water, and now Uisce Éireann is referring to the delivery of wastewater capacity by 2029. First and foremost, I would like reassurance from the Minister of State that there will be delivery. How are we holding Uisce Éireann accountable where it is not delivering?

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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I again thank the Deputy and appreciate him raising these concerns on behalf of the people of Offaly and specifically Edenderry. My understanding is that quite a bespoke approach is being taken in Edenderry. A wastewater treatment plant that would be sufficient to serve the population of Edenderry will be designed. In the meantime, consideration will be given to an interim solution through a developer-led process which would be designed with the intention of connecting that to the wastewater treatment plant once it is designed and finished.

The Minister, Deputy Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, recently brought forward the national planning framework. There is a clear commitment in that to address regional development, including some of our smaller and larger towns and villages, in terms of ensuring there is investment in those areas. It recognises the need for balanced regional growth, which is a priority for the Minister, Deputy Browne, in respect of housing as well. I will come back to the Deputy with specifics on Edenderry, if that is okay.

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the developer-led initiative, but a viability element has to be taken into consideration. Where developers are expected to provide an interim measure, Uisce Éireann has to engage and liaise with them to ensure that it remains economically viable for them to do so. The Uisce Éireann website is not developer friendly. The capacity register on the website provides an option of green or red. I firmly believe that lacks transparency and clarity. Where something is green, there should be identifiable measurements on the numbers for development.

Where it is red, we should have a date and timeframe for development. That indicative capacity outline needs to be there to let developers know where they can build and seize an opportunity. One question that Uisce Éireann should be able to answer, and quite frankly I do not believe it is, is what it will deliver next year in connections. I appreciate that other factors come into play but what are its current capacity and current resources to provide connections this year or next year?

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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On the tenet of the Deputy's original question on assessment, I really believe that is the role of a county development plan. It assesses towns and villages with regard to the various infrastructural needs within them. The national development plan will be announced shortly. Funding for Uisce Éireann will be formed, modelled and moulded around this. This is very important also.

We have seen significant increased funding for Uisce Éireann. Deputy Clendennen is absolutely right that we need to start seeing a return for this increased investment and the increased funding of the utility. With regard to Edenderry, certainly we could look at some of these projects and designs taking anything between five and seven years, but for towns such as Edenderry and other towns of a similar size this is not good enough. We want to see houses built and delivered now. The interim solution in Edenderry is, once a design is finalised, to look at the potential of developer-led infrastructure which could then be connected to the new wastewater treatment plant. This is an opportunity and it could be rolled out as a model throughout the country if it worked.