PJ Murphy (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State very much for his presence here today for this discussion on the very important topic of water quality and Uisce Éireann. It is critically important to point out that all national water quality sampling and publications in the past three years, particularly in 2025, have shown that we are moving in the right direction and that water quality is on the up nationally. However, these improvements are largely attributable to improvements in the efficiency of the use of agricultural nitrates and phosphorous, along with general improvements in the containment of agricultural pollutants.

When it comes to wastewater facilities in our villages, rural towns, larger provincial towns and cities, we have a long way to go to get to where we urgently need to be. Nowhere is this more evident than in my area of south County Galway. There are 14 towns and villages in the south Galway local electoral area. Of these, only two, Gort and Kinvara, are serviced by municipal wastewater treatment facilities. I have recently been informed that the treatment plant in Gort is operating at capacity, which will have a serious knock-on effect in the context of the development of the town.

The next two largest settlements in this district are Craughwell and Clarinbridge. Both villages remain unserviced by municipal wastewater treatment plants despite their rapid growth during the first decade of this century. The Dunkellin river runs through Craughwell village. This river was once renowned for its salmon stocks and its large average sea trout sizes but, unfortunately, many parts of the river are now better known for the smell that comes from them during the summer months. Clarinbridge is a coastal village where the Clarin river enters Galway Bay at the world famous St. George's oyster beds. This village is equally desperately in need of wastewater treatment. Over two years ago, the two villages I have just spoken of, Craughwell and Clarinbridge, were selected for inclusion among 11 pilot project schemes for municipal wastewater treatment plants nationally. A combined figure of over €20 million was allocated for the development of plants in these two villages. More than two years on, we have seen absolutely no progress. Here we have what I believe to be an example of funds being made available to Uisce Éireann only for its ability to deliver to be found wanting.

The east Galway main drainage scheme, an extensive plan that would serve Oranmore, Athenry, Claregalway and Kilcolgan along with Craughwell and Clarinbridge, which I have just spoken about, is greatly supported by our local authority, Galway County Council. However, this plan, whose delivery is listed among Uisce Éireann's aims, continues to remain nothing more than an aspiration.

I have just spoken about four of the 14 settlements in my local area. The remaining ten villages, which include my village of Ardrahan, remain unserviced and without any hope of being serviced in the short to medium term.

I compliment the Minister of State on the plans that he and the Minister, Deputy Browne, brought to Cabinet last week for developer-led package plant solutions for these small unserviced towns and villages. As he will know, this is something I have long advocated for. I believe it is the only workable solution for the hundreds of small unserviced villages around Ireland. However, this solution must be financially viable. If, in order to meet EPA guidelines, Uisce Éireann specifies massively expensive wastewater treatment plants, rendering housing developments financially unviable to construct, we will have achieved nothing. If this solution is to work and achieve its goal, the cost to the developer of providing on-site wastewater infrastructure must be capped at a set national price per unit delivered. We must remember that the need for the developer to provide this infrastructure in the first place comes from the State's failure to do so. As such, where homes are being delivered through these means in these villages, where they are so badly needed, no cost greater than the average Uisce Éireann residential wastewater connection fee should apply to the cost of developing these rural housing units. Of course, in many cases, this will require subsidisation but, without it, this admirable legislation will not achieve its goal.

I commend the Minister of State on the work he has been doing to date along with the other Ministers in the Department of housing. I wish him well in the future.