Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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149. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will introduce a scheme with funding to allow local authorities to provide wastewater treatment plants in towns and villages where none exist, solely to facilitate social and affordable housing development, which will increase the locations available to provide social and affordable housing in all towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5705/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Local authorities, as housing authorities, have responsibility for the planning and provision of housing in their respective areas.

My Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, delivers improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public water services.

In April 2022, I announced an advanced element of funding of €50m, for the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs of Villages and Settlements without access to public waste water services.

Local authorities were given an opportunity to submit bids for funding for specific projects in their area. An independent Expert Panel are currently evaluating the bids received and I expect to be in a position to announce the successful projects soon.