Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. The housing challenges are widespread. We have heard that we are living in a housing emergency. Over 15,000 people are homeless, including over 4,600 children. We have a massive challenge around short-term lets. Airbnbs are blocking people from accommodation. We had the disastrous decision to remove the tenant in situ scheme.

As the issue is so broad and given that I have so little time to speak, I will focus on an issue Senator Murphy spoke about, namely, Uisce Éireann and wastewater supply and infrastructure, which is hindering new housing developments nationally, and the impact that has on rural communities specifically. Uisce Éireann is not explicitly under the remit of the Minister's Department, but at some stage the Department has to take responsibility for the delays in developments we are seeing. It is having a serious impact on rural Ireland. Significant delays in updating water infrastructure have led to huge roadblocks for communities. Vital housing projects cannot move forward.

The very small village of Bennettsbridge in Kilkenny has been told it will not have any wastewater treatment until after 2029, and until that is done no other village in Kilkenny will have wastewater treatment updates. Huge numbers of people on the social housing list have nowhere to go. This includes Paulstown, Piltown and Inistioge. They have been told the infrastructure will not be in place until 2029 at the earliest.

This issue is not unique to Kilkenny. Rural communities across Ireland are facing endless delays. Developers are ready to build. Families are desperate for homes. Yet, we have a complete failure to deliver wastewater connections. Progress is at a standstill and it is not a new issue. We have seen this coming. Every year that passes means lost opportunities for housing and rural community development, which is important. In Ireland, rural communities feel a greater sense of exclusion. This is compounding and adding to that feeling. We cannot allow bureaucratic delays and underfunding to contribute further to that.

This has gone on long enough. I call for immediate action. I suspect the Minister's response is that Uisce Éireann is not within his remit, but at this stage that answer is not good enough. We need a holistic approach. We need the Department to take action on quasi-governmental organisations like Uisce Éireann.