John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In recent weeks, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has had significant dialogue with Irish Water and officials from the Department on infrastructure deficits in water and wastewater, particularly in small towns and villages. A total of €97.5 million was approved by the Government and the regulator to allow Irish Water to set up a specific fund for the small towns and villages growth programme to focus on areas throughout the country that would not ordinarily be a priority for investment. Through collaboration with local authorities, areas were identified in every county to create additional capacity to service developments that have planning in place.

One such area is in my county of Waterford. In Lemybrien a local builder has planning permission for 19 housing units but cannot commence development because Irish Water has been dragging its heels regarding what work is required to facilitate upgrades to the network. I have been going back and forth on this matter over a number of months and it has been frustrating that at a time we have such a shortage of housing, priority cannot be given to progressing the relevant tests and designs to carry out this work. I am assured it will be done in October and I accept the bona fides of those who have given these commitments.

I have been informed in the past couple of hours that Lemybrien along with 20 other projects in rural and regional Ireland have been approved under the small towns and villages growth programme, to add to the 15 already announced earlier in the summer. This will represent an investment of almost €1 million in Lemybrien to upgrade water and wastewater networks. Even though there is a green light for these 21 projects, priority must now be given to carrying out the required testing and the design and procurement to ensure the projects are carried out without delay.

While I acknowledge these things take time I call for a streamlining of the process. I reiterate what I said at the committee meeting on access for Irish Water to the Part 8 planning process for these schemes. Procurement could be done alongside the planning process to speed up delivery of these projects in every town and village throughout the country.