Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Deputy Leader to arrange a debate with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government at the earliest opportunity after we return from the summer recess to examine investment in water and sewerage infrastructure in rural areas in this country. In the county I know best, County Clare, there are four villages - Broadford, Cooraclare, Carrigaholt and Doolin - where there are no Irish Water assets. Raw sewage is pumped into local rivers and courses in a number of these areas, which is very damaging to the environment. It also has a significant impact on the capacity of these villages to grow and develop, which is an important part of balanced regional development. Let us consider what has happened as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many more people now wish to work from home. It is clear from the research that has been done on the wishes of people who work in our cities that they would like to work from home. That creates a great opportunity for rural areas to attract people from the cities. If one does not have to work in the city centre five days of the week and if one does not have to clog up the traffic lanes, this is an opportunity for people to move back to their native communities in some cases and for others to have the experience of living outside the capital and major cities.

There is a plan, albeit rolled out too slowly, to provide broadband in many of these locations. However, there is no point installing more services until basic water and sewerage services are provided. I appeal to the Deputy Leader to organise this debate at the earliest opportunity so we can have an important dialogue on how we plan for our country and the living arrangements of our people in a post-Covid environment. We hear a great deal about shovel-ready projects and capital investment in key infrastructure as methods of rebooting our economy. I can think of no better area in which to invest than water and sewerage schemes, especially the smaller schemes and the schemes that fall outside the main priority of Irish Water. If we can get that right, we can relieve the pressures on our cities and give an opportunity to people who wish to live in the areas they know best and to build strong communities that will protect our schools and the other services that are in great need of more population. In that way we can work towards the idea of balanced regional development.