John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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511. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the supports being made available to ensure that towns and villages in Cork north-west have adequate serviced land and infrastructure required for new housing development; if his Department will work with Cork County Council to address gaps in wastewater and water capacity that are limiting housing delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65223/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I have established a Housing Activation Office in my Department to coordinate and accelerate the delivery of infrastructure projects needed to enable housing development on zoned lands.

The Office is actively engaged in identifying barriers to housing delivery and is coordinating with local authorities and infrastructure agencies to address these barriers.

In the coming months I will be bringing forward a €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund to support direct investment in housing infrastructure. This new fund will complement investment by infrastructure agencies, such as Uisce Éireann and ESB Networks, as part of a more coordinated approach.

While I cannot comment on individual sites in advance of the opening of the Housing Infrastructure Investment fund, the HAO has been working closely with Cork County Council, to identify the infrastructure projects needed to unlock key housing sites.

My Department is aware that wastewater capacity constraints are affecting housing delivery in a number of settlements across the country. Through the updated National Development Plan 2026–2030, the Government has committed an unprecedented €12.2 billion to invest in water services.

Arrangements have been put in place that enable private sector developers to establish temporary wastewater treatment infrastructure in certain circumstances where there are network constraints to facilitate the connection of a housing development to the Uisce Éireann network.

The new Government-approved developer-led wastewater framework expands on this approach and provides a route for developers to deliver wastewater treatment infrastructure in unsewered settlements, including in Cork County - subject to Uisce Éireann’s technical oversight and EPA authorisation. These assets will transfer to the ownership of Uisce Éireann on completion for their long-term operation.

Investment under the Housing Activation Office and in water services will help to unlock housing in areas where infrastructure has been a barrier to development.