Results 461-480 of 498 for speaker:Séamus McGrath
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: I thank the witnesses from Uisce Éireann and ESB Networks for being here today. I endorse what the Chair said about the work done by staff of both organisations during the recent storm and previous storms and extreme weather events. Their work is much appreciated. Please pass on our thanks to the staff. I will start with Uisce Éireann. The organisation's strategic funding plan...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: Is that ask entirely of the Government? In other words, there is no self-funding involved in the capital plan.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: Okay, so the ask from Government is for an additional €2 billion per annum.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: I apologise for rushing but the clock is against me. I want to turn to Dublin for a moment. We hear a lot of commentary about water supply and wastewater treatment in Dublin being on the brink. How bad is the situation in Dublin? How much more housing supply could Uisce Éireann cater for right now in Dublin?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: I just want an approximate figure, to get a sense of where we are regarding the Dublin region.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: If there is a particularly dry spell, it will present a lot of difficulties.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: So we are potentially never too far away from water restrictions, for example.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: As regards wastewater, there may be a period of particularly heavy rain, for example. I know the systems are not entirely separate. We are not too far away from overcapacity there in terms of potentially having to release into the sea or whatever.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: I have one more question to Uisce Éireann. I will probably have to come back to ESB Networks in the second round. As regards Uisce Éireann's engagement with various stakeholders, public representatives, local authorities, developers and so on, with respect, we hear a lot of criticism in terms of Uisce Éireann being a difficult organisation to engage with. Developers, for...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: Yes. The Deputy should give the officials a chance to reply.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: Okay Deputy, I just want to give a quick reply opportunity.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: Okay, we have to move on.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: Deputy Butterly is next.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: Not now, unfortunately. We are way over time.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: Going back to the Dublin position, Uisce Éireann witnesses mentioned interim measures and so on. That is all very welcome. What is the single biggest project for water in the Dublin region that needs to happen under the new capital plan? What is the estimated cost of that? What is the single biggest project for water and for wastewater? They are separate projects, obviously. What...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: What is the cost of that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: If Uisce Éireann had funding certainty right now, how far away are we from delivery of either of those? I know that is an open question.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: The headroom mentioned earlier was two to three years for the Dublin area. What bridges the gap? Is it all interim measures?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)
Séamus McGrath: Are there enough of them there that can be tapped?