Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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 waste water infrastructure to support the development of those rural 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 has launched a funding measure for the provision of waste water collection and treatment needs for villages and settlements without access to public waste water services.

I recently approved funding for a number of demonstration projects under this measure, including for two villages (Clarinbridge and Craughwell) in County Galway. Future approaches to villages without public waste water collection and treatment facilities in County Galway and elsewhere will be informed by the progress on these demonstration projects.