Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before I get into my Commencement matter, I wish to let the Minister of State know that checktheregister.ie, which is under his stewardship, is not digitally accessible to the blind and visually impaired community in Ireland, so more than 150,000 people in Ireland cannot register to vote using the website. I urge the Minister of State to look at that as a matter of urgency. It came to my attention last week when a young person who was trying to register to vote was not able to do so. I do not expect the Minister of State to reply to that, but he might just take it back to the Department.

The Commencement matter I raise today is about a scheme that has been in the pipeline for more than two years. The scheme is ministerially led within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to facilitate small communities that need wastewater sewerage schemes. One case in point in County Clare is Broadford. The village of Broadford has many people who want to invest in it, many people with money who have ideas as to what they would like to do with the village, and people who are prepared to build houses and to pay for that out of their own pockets. The problem, however, is that the system there has reached capacity and the answer they get back from Clare County Council is that it is premature pending the upgrading of the systems there.

We have a housing problem in this country. This is not the panacea that will resolve all the issues to do with housing but it would be a step in the right direction. It is all about taking steps in the right direction.

As for this scheme, there was an engagement with numerous representatives in Clare and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, about a year and a half ago in the Department. He suggested this pilot scheme, and each local authority in the country, I understand, was written to and asked to nominate either one or two schemes. Clare County Council, like every other county council, submitted a scheme, and Broadford was the scheme that was submitted.

We are now three weeks away from the end of 2022. We expected that the successful schemes would be announced at this stage because the expressions of interest to the local authorities were sent out a number of months ago. I think the indication was that in September or October we would have confirmation as to what the successful schemes would be. Now we are moving into January and there has still been no announcement. The question, therefore, which is reasonable for people to ask, is when the successful applicants will be notified. Will the Minister of State give me a specific date? The people in Broadford are getting very nervous at this stage. This has been going on month after month and we do not have an announcement. This scheme will address one project or one town per county. In County Clare alone we have about 50 or 60 schemes that need upgrading.

There was a meeting in Doonbeg last night. Unfortunately, I could not make it, but it was a meeting of residents because the village water periodically stops and starts. We are talking about an area which has a huge tourist population as a result of the golf and leisure outlet there, whose name I will not mention. We are talking about 200 or 300 working there and thousands of people visiting it every year, yet the water system in the town is not fit for purpose and keeps breaking down. It is very unfair on the people living there 24-7, all year round. We really need to escalate the progression of these schemes in general. The pilot project announced by the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is a start but it needs to get up and running because it will not be felt before the Government comes to an end. Will any of the schemes be done?