Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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14. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [25318/25]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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15. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [26018/25]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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16. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [32570/25]

Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [33559/25]

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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18. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [33566/25]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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19. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [33614/25]

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [33856/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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21. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [33927/25]

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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22. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [34039/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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23. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [34303/25]

Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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24. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [34612/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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25. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [34614/25]

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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26. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [35371/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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27. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [37506/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 27, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on infrastructure last met on Monday, 28 April and is due to meet again on Thursday, 17 July. The committee oversees programme for Government commitments in relation to infrastructure delivery and its work reflects the importance this Government is placing on the issue. The delivery of growth enhancing infrastructure is a key enabler for our national competitiveness, fostering regional development, delivering on our housing commitments and meeting social needs. The new infrastructure division is now up and running in the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. It is examining the means by which infrastructure development can be accelerated.

The division includes experts who have been deployed from EirGrid, ESB Networks, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Uisce Éireann and An Coimisiún Pleanála. These experts are working with officials in the Department to develop impactful policies that improve the speed and efficiency of critical infrastructure delivery. The new division is currently engaging with experts, consulting with stakeholders and the public and reviewing international best practice. Through this process, it is identifying the most critical barriers to delivery and will develop a set of high impact reform measures to address these barriers.

To oversee the work of the division, an accelerating infrastructure task force has also been established, chaired by the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and is comprised of independent experts along with representatives from commercial, semi-State bodies at the front line of infrastructure development. The Cabinet committee on infrastructure is also overseeing the review process for the national development plan, which will be completed in the coming weeks. The review will set our investment priorities for the next five years, ensuring focus on programmes which will enable economic and social development, with a particular focus on housing, energy, water, grid infrastructure and health digitalisation.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I spoke earlier about the major crisis in our public infrastructure that is clearly delaying progress on the construction of housing and, indeed, delaying progress towards meeting our climate targets. In particular, I speak about difficulties with energy and water infrastructure. I want to focus on water infrastructure because just at the end of May, the Government was warned by Uisce Éireann that house building in Dublin would stall within three years if the greater Dublin drainage project does not progress. Of course, this project was first proposed more than 20 years ago and was granted planning permission in 2019. This was quashed by the High Court. It is now back with An Bórd Pleanála for the past 11 months. This is putting increased pressure on the Ringsend wastewater plant. It is likely to lead to more discharges of untreated water in Dublin Bay. We know there are already real difficulties with water quality, particularly at Sandymount Strand.

What will be done at the highest level to ensure this treatment plant will be delivered on time? The Taoiseach may know I brought forward a Dublin Bay Bill some years ago, seeking a stronger, statutory framework to protect biodiversity and our beautiful bay area. Meanwhile, untreated water is flooding out to sea and Uisce Éireann has warned there are currently two options, given the long delays on the wastewater project. Either it stops new connections, which has a huge, knock on effect on stalling house building in Dublin, or it ignores the discharge licence requirement at Ringsend and risk more frequent spills of unfiltered water into the Irish Sea. This is a terrible prospect. The knock on effect for housing and climate is huge. There is no sense of urgency from Government on it. What is the contingency plan here?

Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I am encouraged to hear the importance of focusing on our public transport and water infrastructure, which I know the Taoiseach believes in, and the laser focus the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will have over the lifetime of this Government. As I have often mentioned on the floor of this House, public transport is extremely important in my own constituency of Dublin Mid-West where projects like DART+ South West, the Luas Lucan and additional capacity on the red line are all game changers not only to enable development, but also to underpin sustainable communities. It is in that vein of underpinning sustainable communities that the importance of infrastructure is particularly acute, with regard to the availability of a social infrastructure such as playing and sports facilities.

The Taoiseach and I have discussed the importance of ensuring there is adequate sporting facilities for multiple codes and multiple sports a number of times, especially across the greater Dublin area, particularly in constituencies like my own where rapidly growing communities are being established. That is why I would love to hear from the Taoiseach about progress being made with the pitches and playing facilities fund that is in the programme for Government to enable the provision of multi-use pitches across the Dublin area but to also give our volunteer clubs a steady basis and foundation from which to develop. I would also love to hear about the associated social infrastructure, like childcare facilities, schools and so on.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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For a year and a half, the people of Dublin West have been guinea pigs for drone infrastructure. The potential for drones to do very important work for humans is definitely there, such as emergency relief, medicine, reaching isolated places due to geography and so on. Such new infrastructure should be with community assent and approval and not inflicted with no recourse by private companies that are in it for a profit and to deliver coffee, burgers and fast food, not medicine or anything that is essential to human beings.

There are incredible levels of noise. There is an erosion of privacy and social cohesion. These are all the issues that should have been explored before this infrastructure was unleashed on the population of Dublin West. Now we see Manna, with Deliveroo, will take part in operating 2 million flights whereas it has been 170,000 heretofore. The Minister, Jack Chambers, was apparently asked to emphasise the uncluttered nature of our airspace to allow these drones in. We see that Enterprise Ireland has given Manna grants, as well as raising money from venture capitalists and Coca-Cola. This should never have happened without community approval. Will our skies become as busy as our roads? Are people ready to give up privacy, community cohesion and peace and quiet in our areas? I do not think so but this is being allowed in the name of inevitability and innovation.

4 o’clock

I wish to raise with the Government the rapid development of major solar installations across the east Cork area, part of my constituency. There are large numbers of developments in planning, under discussion or in negotiation that represent very significant land volumes, amounting to thousands of acres. Not to identify any one development but across the region north of Midleton, north of Youghal and Killeagh, developments are being actively pushed through. The concern I want to highlight is that Ireland's policy on this does not seem to take into account the quality of the agricultural ground and its importance to the sustainability of our agrifood network and system and the economic success these have achieved for rural Ireland over many years. Other European countries have rightly regulated this. We do not seem to be regulating so as not to put solar developments on lands deemed to have high quality soil and a high value in terms of agricultural produce, whether those lands pertain to dairy, tillage or other areas of agriculture. Could this be deemed by the Cabinet infrastructure committee to be a matter worthy of discussion given the economic importance of the agrifood sector to the country?

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I commend the establishment of the infrastructure committee. It is rightly targeting key areas of society: water infrastructure, energy infrastructure and housing. However, I ask that policy on social infrastructure be considered as part of this. I am referring to schools, Garda stations, crèches, playgrounds, etc. When we are considering the development of towns and villages and increases to the amount of infrastructure, particularly from a housing perspective, social infrastructure should be considered also. The last thing we need is the building of what are essentially shells rather than communities. Building social infrastructure in line with physical infrastructure is crucial in this regard.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The Dublin Bay area has the coastline. In this regard, I commend Deputy Bacik on introducing the Dublin Bay Bill. At present, there are fortnightly tests of water quality with no real-time information. The coastline does not have bacterial sensors. I acknowledge that a lot will be done through legislation but one thing I want to know is whether the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will consider, in addition to the huge investment that is already going into the wastewater treatment plant in the context of the combined sewer outflows, especially at Clontarf and Raheny, and Ringsend and Sandymount on the southside, putting in detention ponds with integrated constructed wetlands, ICWs. These are low cost and have a high outcome when it comes to filtering water and adding biodiversity to an area. I would like an update on that.

Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to know whether the Taoiseach has a date of publication for the review of the national development plan and whether he knows the period to be covered by the updated plan. As Chair of the Joint Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery, I believe everybody in the House must accept the need for long-term investment in housing, transport, water, electricity and health digitalisation. My view, based on the meetings we have had so far, is that this will require substantial funding in addition to what has been mentioned so far. We should ensure a greater proportion of annual funding for housing and other infrastructure for the coming years. Because of the scale of what is required, we need to do that and not just rely on windfall tax revenue, such as from Apple, or profit on the sale of AIB. We must have a permanent structure for funding for capital investment, but not just based on windfall tax revenue when we get it.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I would like to bring up the issue of Uisce Éireann infrastructure. We have all seen the recent EPA report. In my constituency, Louth, Cavanhill water treatment plant delivers to almost 47,000 people, and the Tallanstown and Greenmount plants together provide to another 6,000 approximately. The quality of these supplies must improve to safeguard public health. The supplies are at risk of disruption because the treatment is not robust and requires remedial action. This is action that has been planned but that has not been delivered.

I ask the Taoiseach to follow up. I am facing an issue in relation to meeting Uisce Éireann at this point. We all go through periods of really good communication, particularly at corporate level, and my connections locally are fine, but I do need this communication to happen. The issue at Cavanhill relates directly to the brown water and the manganese in it. The pilot scheme needs to become an actual working operation.

There is an issue with wastewater in my part of my town. It is impacting on planning and creating the possibility of flooding. This absolutely needs to be addressed.

Beyond these, I must bring up an issue I have constantly brought up here, the supply at Hackballscross, which is at the end of a public water scheme, and the fact that it is constantly kicking out. We need to make sure we have a proper service. If the Taoiseach could follow up and ensure I will have the meeting I want, I will be only too delighted.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank all the Deputies for the contributions. Deputy Bacik raised the greater Dublin drainage project. As she said herself, it was quashed by the High Court, for some technical reason or whatever. The Government is not responsible for that. I do not know what the issues were that led to-----

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I asked about a contingency plan.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know but the Deputy asked a very interesting question: what will be done at the highest level? Is she saying we should interfere with An Bord Pleanála? I am not being facetious.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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What is the contingency plan?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We want it out of An Bord Pleanála as quickly as we can but, given the experience of the High Court the last time, I presume those concerned do not want to end up there again. We have the commission, An Coimisiún Pleanála, which will over time be given mandatory timelines to deliver on planning positions. It is a very serious issue.

One wonders why we have had serial objections to wastewater treatment plants over the past two decades. Even those who are for the environment oppose water treatment plants even though they are designed to treat raw sewage going into the harbour. This has been a feature of Irish society for quite a while. Then we end up with judicial reviews. The new planning legislation seeks to streamline the practice of judicial reviews but it was opposed by everyone in the House bar those on the Government side in the last Dáil. There is no point in coming in here and asking me what will be done at the highest level. We all agree in here that there has to be separation between An Bord Pleanála’s decision-making process and the Government and Oireachtas. If we started interfering in various decisions, it would be a problem.

I do believe there is an issue. I take the Deputy’s point on being honest in our conversation on infrastructure that is vital nationally. Water is an essential existential resource for the citizens of a city or country. Wastewater treatment is like this. Therefore, these are issues we should keep under review. We have the Constitution and legal frameworks, and people have rights and there are societal rights. In any event, I hope a decision comes through quickly because we do need to get the work under way. The provision of water, to me, has to be the number one priority.

On Deputy Moynihan’s point, public transport is extremely important. There will be significant investment in public transport under the national development plan. I take the point on sustainable communities. I travelled around Lucan and Clondalkin with the Deputy in respect of a very serious issue concerning access to playing facilities and what I would see as poor provision by local authorities in respect of existing land and pitches for clubs, restrictions on them and so on. We do not experience that in other counties. Dublin has particular problems in that regard. I was at a pitch with the Deputy and noted it could not be accessed at all by the club for three months of the winter because it had no floodlights. The councils in Dublin need to get a move on. In Kerry and Cork, there are facilities everywhere. They are not owned by the councils. In many cases around the country, the councils offer long-term leases. In Dublin, a lease is about five years, ten years or 20 years; in Cork, it is 100 years. I am being provocative but if I were a Dublin TD, I would really be kicking someone regarding this issue because there is a paucity. Some clubs have great sports facilities but in others, as in the Deputy’s locality, access is restricted. I never actually recovered from the 60 m sprint I did with the Deputy. Every joint of the body was suffering afterwards as a result.

Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach won that, though, did he not?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I actually won it but at great cost subsequently, I can say.

In response to Deputy Coppinger, as I indicated earlier there actually is a European directive.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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Yes, I know but----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Aviation Authority has responsibilities here.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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Yes.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will publish a policy framework in the summer in respect of drones. I do think there are issues. There is a balance in respect of the growth of technology and Enterprise Ireland supports up-and-coming technology companies. Drones will be used everywhere in different contexts.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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For fast food?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not agree with it for fast food. I was going to come to that. The Deputy is implying a criticism of Enterprise Ireland for supporting a technology company.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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I am.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not criticise Enterprise Ireland for supporting a technology company or a drone company. There are applications of drones that would be particularly legitimate. Why someone has to get a drone for a cup of coffee is beyond me. You need to walk around to the local shop and get your coffee, or make the cup of coffee, or green tea or whatever your poison is. I have to agree with the Deputy there. We need balance and perspective but we cannot all control human behaviour. There is an issue in terms of regulation. If it gets to a stage where there are 2 million flights, clearly there is a danger and a health and safety issue if nothing else.

Deputy James O'Connor raised the major solar installations across the country. There are competing issues there. The various climate reports show that Ireland is falling significantly below the targets in terms of the 51% or in terms of the European Union target. One of the most effective routes for us to try to achieve targets is through renewable energy, be it offshore wind, onshore wind or solar. There are competing interests against that. We are not achieving it at the level we should. Equally, agriculture is extremely important and is vital to local communities in its economic impact and so on. There is a third factor, by the way; private individuals' property rights are enshrined in the Constitution. That cannot be ignored either. There has to be a planning framework governing the use of land. There was a recent study done on land use in the context of climate change, which is a very significant issue. That will cause its own controversy when it is published towards the end of the summer. It will endeavour to say that some lands can be used for this and some can be used for that. It is not simple. However, at the moment we have an opportunity to get a regulatory framework in place. While it is growing, solar is not at any huge level yet. Rooftop solar is vital. That should be done and facilitated. Rooftop is improving dramatically. For example, at PepsiCo in Carrigaline, 25% of its plant is now done by its rooftop solar. I do get the point about whether, if it is very rich agricultural land, it should remain to be used for agricultural purposes. I envisage that in the future, in less productive areas, we need to incentivise more alternative revenue streams for farmers. We definitely need to do that into the future.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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We are due to conclude at 4.15 p.m.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I apologise. To Deputy Ó Cearúil, I absolutely agree on the need for social infrastructure to be considered alongside expansion, schools, creches and other social infrastructure.

I agree with Deputy Heneghan on the detention ponds and all that. There are mechanisms that are low cost that can be used and should be deployed. On Dublin Bay more generally, we want to clean up our waterways and estuaries significantly.

To Deputy Fleming, we have a target date of the end of July for publication of the national development plan. The Apple windfall, as it is called, will be allocated in the context of the NDP. The big priorities are housing, water, the grid, health digitalisation and public transport and roads.

Deputy Ó Murchú referred to the EPA report. I do not have the exact specifics of the ones he referenced. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy James Browne, who is responsible for the wastewater treatment plants and so on.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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And Uisce Éireann.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I was intrigued by the Deputy's commentary that he has very good local contacts with Uisce Éireann and that occasionally he has very good engagement with the corporate level but suddenly it seems to have fallen into a lull at the moment.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Exactly, but I am sure the Taoiseach would step in for us.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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You want us to step in and resuscitate----

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I would be delighted.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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----oil the wheels of your engagement process with Uisce Éireann. I will take an opportunity to refer them to your comments.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I will be slightly in the Taoiseach's debt.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will remember that.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Be careful what you wish for.