Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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As set out in the Programme for Government “Our Shared Future”, the Government is committed to continue investment in our rural communities and to support proportionate growth of rural towns and villages to help attract people to live in these locations.

My Department continues to invest in water and wastewater infrastructure to support the development of those rural towns and villages that are not currently served by Uisce Éireann.

More than €243 million of funding, over the period 2021 to 2025, has been provided under the National Development Plan for non-Uisce Éireann investment in rural water infrastructure. This includes €175 million to support the Rural Water Programme and, of this, €50m has been committed specifically to address the requirements for villages and similar settlements without access to public waste water infrastructure.

My Department launched the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs for villages and settlements without access to Public Waste Water Services programme to support demonstration projects that can inform a longer-term strategic approach to this issue.

I recently approved funding for specific projects under this programme, including for two villages (Broadford and Cooraclare) in County Clare. My Department has written directly to Clare local authority outlining the required next steps to enable these projects to commence and be delivered to completion as quickly as possible.

Future approaches to small towns and villages without public waste water treatment facilities in County Clare and elsewhere will be will be informed by the progress on these demonstration projects.