Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I echo the remarks of the Senator. Much as this is an issue in Clare, it is also an issue in counties Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow. This is not just an environmental concern. Dealing with this issue could revitalise our rural communities and villages. We have a planning issue whereby many people are being told they cannot have one-off housing, but we should at least allow them to live in their local villages. Doing so will also support the local shops, post offices and schools. Our problem at the moment is that many villages lack the three Ws - water, Wi-Fi, and wastewater. If we can address those matters, we can revolutionise how we support rural living. This is about small towns and villages all over the country such as Ferns, Camolin, Our Lady's Island, Ramsgrange and Campile in County Wexford. There are many others and I am sure the Minister of State could name some in Kilkenny as well. Imagine if we as a Government were able to provide the infrastructure to those villages. It would support our remote working strategy and would be far more sustainable environmentally, but most important, the quality of life for people living in those communities would be transformed. That is why both I and Senator Garvey wanted to raise this but I am sure it is a concern of Senators in all parties and Members of both Houses. We ask that the Government prioritises a programme to provide the necessary water and wastewater infrastructure for our rural towns and villages.