Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department builds its strategic water policy and infrastructure delivery programmes around the National Planning Framework 2018-2040 and the National Development Plan 2018-2027.

Investment is primarily delivered through Irish Water while my Department operates the Rural Water Programme directly. The Programme for Government supports the uptake of Irish Water's Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme 2020-2024, which will provide water and wastewater growth capacity in smaller settlements that would otherwise not be provided for in Irish Water's capital investment plan.

Complementary to that Programme, my Department is also currently examining waste water requirements in the context of villages and similar settlements that do not have access to public waste water infrastructure. I have instructed the relevant officials in my Department to prepare a report on this topic at a national level. This process is at a very advanced stage, and I will be in a position to consider the matter once I have received the final report.