Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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85. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the method by which he will fund Irish Water to provide public wastewater treatment plants in towns and villages in order to allow housing to be built in growth centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22871/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of public water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels.

As part of Budget 2021, I secured funding of over €1.4 billion to support water services. This includes €1.3 billion in respect of domestic water services provision by Irish Water. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area.

Irish Water brought forward proposals for a Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme, as part of its Capital Investment Plan 2020-2024 to the Commission for Regulations of Utilities (CRU) for consideration. I understand from Irish Water that an allocation of almost €100 million for this programme was approved by the CRU. I also understand that projects are now commencing design, and that investment under the Programme will begin to deliver in the coming years. Irish Water is working with local authorities across the country in ensuring the investment supports the growth of identified settlements where these are prioritised in line with the local authority development plans.

My Department is also considering the matter of waste water infrastructure in villages/settlements not serviced by Irish Water. I have instructed the relevant officials in my Department to prepare a report on this topic at national level. This will include a baseline survey of all rural local authorities to establish the numbers, size, national distribution and other environmental impacts for villages/settlements that do not have waste water collection and treatment infrastructure provided by Irish Water. I will be in a position to provide further update once I have received this report.