James Browne
Wexford · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I cannot accept amendments Nos. 10 and 11. The interpretation of "lawfully resident" and "habitually resident" is construed in accordance with section 20A, which sets out the new residency requirements for social housing applicants.”
“The safety net provision is to be provided by the local authority on a night-to-night basis, and this is to allow local authorities to reassess the circumstances each day to determine whether the safety net should still be provided.”
“I cannot accept amendment No. 21. This amendment proposes the introduction of a social housing passport allowing households to transfer between local authority areas while retaining their original waiting list or transfer list position. The amendment as it stands is well-intentioned.”
“No one factor is intended to be decisive and it is not necessary for a person to score strongly on all five factors outlined in section 20A(7) in order to get a positive decision. However, the local authority decision-maker must be confident that there is strong evidence that it is the applicant's main centre of interest.”
“In relation to Senator McCarthy’s amendment, while it was a very well intentioned and constructed amendment, it has been disallowed. It was not my decision on those matters. I am satisfied the safeguards and safety net are there for those who are not entitled by way of legal or habitual residence.”
“In practical terms, if an Irish citizen has severed ties abroad and has decided to return home, the process of establishing habitual residency could be determined from day one.”
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“Tenants moving into a property will have certainty that their future rent can only increase by inflation, up to a 2% maximum, in all tenancies other than new apartments. Taking account of the Housing Agency report and its preferred recommendation, the Government approved changes to rent regulation, which will be introduced nationally from 1 March 2026. The RTB rent index report, published quarterly, is designed to measure developments in rental prices faced by those taking up new tenancies in the private rental sector and more recently, utilising annual registration data, existing tenancy rent price developments. This information is available on the RTB website. On 14 October, the Government approved the general scheme of the residential tenancies (amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2025.”
“First, it sets its rent cap at 2% or the level of the harmonised index of consumer prices, HICP, whichever is lower, meaning that rent increases may not keep pace with inflation. Second, it does not allow for a resetting of rents to market rates when a tenancy ends. The linking of rent regulation to a property rather than a tenancy, as is the case with RPZs, was viewed as a more stringent system of rent control. The review recommended a modification of rent controls and also recommended allowing landlords to reset rents to market levels between tenancies while providing for stronger tenant protections to guard against economic evictions. The review indicates that the provision to reset rent between tenancies may see some rent inflation but that this is expected to moderate as new supply comes on stream.”
“This review was undertaken to assess the operation of RPZs since their introduction and consider their impact on the market and relevant stakeholders, including the retention of landlords, new investment in rental properties and protecting tenants. It was also to consider whether RPZs should continue without change, be removed, modified or replaced. The review, which is published on the Housing Agency website, involved engagement with a wide variety of stakeholders, including investors, representatives of landlord and tenant advocacy groups, academics and the RTB. The agency submitted its report to my Department at the end of April and advised that its preferred recommendation was to modify the current RPZ rent controls. The review identified that Ireland’s current system appears to be severe for two reasons.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 137, 138 and 140 together. I welcome the questions from the Deputies. On 10 June 2025, the Government approved policy measures, including modifications to rent controls to come into effect on 1 March 2026 to boost investment in the supply of homes available for rent, keep existing landlords in the market and protect renters. The changes agreed will also provide significantly stronger tenancy protections and are finely balanced between the interests of tenants and the need for further private investment in the rental market across the country, taking account of stakeholder engagement. The modifications to rent controls have been informed by the findings of the Housing Agency review of rent pressure zones and potential policy options.”
“The Government is committed to making sure that all areas of water policy and water services are strengthened with regard to environmental compliance and water and wastewater infrastructure, so that all our communities feel the benefits of the unprecedented NDP investment in the water sector.”
“The developer-led infrastructure initiative, which was approved by the Government in late 2025, represents a further important step. It provides a new approach to supporting new housing delivery in areas not served by Uisce Éireann by increasing private sector involvement in appropriate wastewater solutions. Uisce Éireann, as the national water supplier, is now in a position to engage with developers on this initiative, and I expect it to be rolled out in locations across the country during 2026. This approach will support the delivery of new housing in rural areas while ensuring that environmental and public health standards are maintained. It will deliver tangible benefits for rural communities.”
“This includes significant capital investment in group water schemes and local water infrastructure, operational funding for schemes, targeted household grants, and support for the National Federation of Group Water Schemes to strengthen governance and capacity. I have already approved funding for hundreds of rural water projects across the country. These range from large-scale treatment upgrades serving entire communities to smaller, but vital, works that improve water quality, security of supply and environmental compliance at local level. These investments are delivering safer, more reliable water services and greater resilience for rural communities. They also demonstrate the Government's strong and ongoing commitment to supporting rural households and improving rural water services.”
“My Department, through the rural water programme, supports these households and communities by ensuring access to safe, reliable and sustainable drinking water and wastewater services in rural areas. Around 180,000 households are supplied through group water schemes, while many other rural homes rely on private wells and on-site wastewater systems, predominately septic tanks. These households and communities are a central focus of Government investment and policy. Under the NDP, €230 million is being invested in rural water services out to 2030 through a comprehensive package of supports.”
“Just yesterday the Government approved in principle a major upgrade for the wastewater treatment plant at Bunlicky, serving Limerick city. This major project represents a major investment in the mid-west and is just one of many that Uisce Éireann will progress this year. Macroom, Ballyconneely, Claremorrris and Clonmel, among others, will also see major upgrades to their water infrastructure this year, with more such projects to come over the lifetime of the NDP. These projects will benefit all our communities, both urban and rural. Rural communities that are not served by Uisce Éireann also depend on safe and reliable water and wastewater services, and this Government is committed to sustaining these services for the future.”
“The delivery of this generational project is critical to sustainable economic growth, enabling housing delivery and attracting investment to support Ireland's growing population for the next 30 years and beyond. In tandem with the water supply project, the greater Dublin drainage project, GDD, is critical to facilitate growth in the greater Dublin area. The new wastewater treatment plant will be situated in the southern fringes of Fingal, immediately outside the M50 motorway in County Dublin, and will serve north Dublin and parts of the surrounding counties of Kildare and Meath. The GDD will provide the additional treatment and network capacity to support the long-term sustainable growth of the greater Dublin region and ensure that Ireland continues to meet our objectives under European law.”
“The water supply project for the eastern and midlands region is a generational project and will be one of the largest ever undertaken in the history of the State. It will deliver a safe, secure, sustainable source of water supply to the eastern and midlands region. It will achieve this by bringing treated water from the Parteen Basin in County Tipperary to Peamount in Dublin. The pipeline will have the capacity for offtakes along the route in counties Tipperary, Offaly and Westmeath. It will also enable supplies serving Dublin to be redirected back locally in counties Carlow, Wicklow, Meath and Louth, bringing benefits to the Dublin region and the wider eastern and midlands region.”
“These include Ireland's key towns, regional growth centres and cities, in addition to other large towns with considerable forecasted housing growth. My Department has engaged with Uisce Éireann, and Uisce Éireann will shortly write to the CEOs of Ireland's 31 local authorities, outlining its plans to support new housing delivery and achieve the national housing target of 300,000 new homes by 2030. This is part of Uisce Éireann's aim of sharing as much detail as possible with local authorities and local planning authorities to inform local planning decisions over the coming years. In addition to this accelerated growth programme, Uisce Éireann is embarking on some of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Ireland to meet our future growth and societal needs.”
“This is something I have directly spoken to the chairperson of the Uisce Éireann board about. I am assured the organisation recognises that work needs to be done to improve this. Therefore, I have asked Uisce Éireann to review its approach to communications and engagement, in particular with Members of this House, as a matter of priority. In terms of national development plan, NDP, funding, Uisce Éireann has allocated €1.7 billion for a new additional growth programme that will support accelerated housing delivery. Uisce Éireann has identified 72 strategic settlements through reviews of the national planning framework; regional spatial and economic strategies; and county development plans and local area plans.”
“This provides a dedicated service for elected representatives and deals with tens of thousands of queries each year from all elected representatives, including Members of the Oireachtas. I certainly want to see this improved as we go forward. Transformation is ongoing. It is important to remind ourselves that Uisce Éireann and the public water sector are still going through a significant transformation process. This year is a pivotal one as the transfer deadline for local water services staff fast approaches. Next year will see Uisce Éireann reach its end-state structure and settle into being Ireland's single public water utility. However, and as we heard in the House last week, there are concerns around the effectiveness of the communication from Uisce Éireann to elected representatives.”
“The CRU also has a role in protecting domestic and non-domestic customers by approving service standards, handling complaints and dispute resolution for customer complaints that cannot be resolved with Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann communicates with a diverse and large group of customers, communities and stakeholders through multiple channels daily. These include online, digital and social media channels along with a free text alert service providing water supply updates and information to customers across 1.6 million households and businesses. Uisce Éireann has been proactive in establishing a local authority liaison office, which meets with councils across the country.”
“In this regard Uisce Éireann is subject to rigorous financial scrutiny by way of dual audit from the Comptroller and Auditor General and by a commercial auditor along with being accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts. Uisce Éireann is also subject to economic regulation by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. The CRU provides a constraint over Uisce Éireann revenue, approving investment plans while monitoring performance and ensuring it runs efficiently. The economic regulatory process involves extensive public consultation on Uisce Éireann funding, investment plans and performance. In fact, the CRU has an open public consultation on Uisce Éireann's plans for 2025 to 2029, which is due to close on Tuesday, 27 January. I encourage a broad base of the public to engage with this consultation call.”
“Uisce Éireann is also providing for significantly increased capacity for future business and population growth. We all see the evidence of the challenges in our constituencies linked to creaking infrastructure or the demands of growth. The scale of the remedial work on the vast network is extensive and will take years to fully resolve. That is why the Government has committed unprecedented funding to Uisce Éireann as part of the national development plan. This investment in our water services will cover every part of our water infrastructure and every community, from the smallest to the largest, both urban and rural. All Exchequer investment needs to occur in a timely and efficient manner with proper evaluation to ensure value for money.”
“Simply keeping our water infrastructure running every day is an enormous task. The process of establishing Uisce Éireann as a stand-alone public utility continues to be a work in progress. There is no doubt about that. It is only at the end of this year that the link with local authorities will finally be broken, and that has been necessary, even if it has taken time. The motivation for a stand-alone utility stems from the inherent inefficiencies of the fragmented network that was operated by 31 local authorities. It has been stated and acknowledged many times in this House that a legacy of underinvestment in our water infrastructure by the local authorities means there are many challenges that Uisce Éireann is now seeking to address.”
“Crucially, this also facilitates the development of homes in all parts of our country. As Minister for housing, I believe that the delivery of quality water must be hand in glove with the acceleration in our delivery of homes across all tenures and all parts of this country, from our islands to our villages, and from our provincial towns to our cities. I want to speak about water service delivery. It plays an essential role in enabling economic growth, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and the delivery of our housing need. Uisce Éireann supplies drinking water to over 80% of the population, with two thirds of households connected to public wastewater services. The Uisce Éireann network consists of tens of thousands of kilometres of pipelines, along with thousands of treatment plants and pumping stations.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak about water. Water is a precious resource. It is critical to our health, our environment and our economy. Access to safe and clean drinking water for everyone is a top priority for the Government. We know it is essential. The Government's water policies are centred on what is called the EU water framework directive. This directive requires all member states to protect and to improve water quality in our rivers, lakes, groundwater and transitional coastal waters. This is done through river basin management plans and water action plans, which my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, will address in further detail. A secure, safe and reliable water service and supply and the provision of quality wastewater treatment are a priority.”
“And she resorts to the usual when I am making my comments, by trying to shout me down. We are well used to it. For those interested in trying to tackle the issues affecting our society, I have heard many good comments from across the floor. I will take them into account as I continue to develop policies. Taking on dereliction is a fundamental part of my role as I see it. That is why we are bringing in positive elements to support people in transforming their village, town and city centres while taking on those who are leaving properties derelict.”
“Look at the transformation of New Ross town in recent years using all the grants approved by the Government through Government policy. We have seen it in many towns across the country. We are tackling it. Deputy O'Reilly gets up every time with personalisation of politics - no substance, again and again and again. The usual from you, Deputy. Engage with the substance of the issues for once.”
“The existing legislation is strong enough but they have not been able to do it. Bringing in the Revenue Commissioners with their power to tackle dereliction is the correct way to go about it, while providing significant carrots for people to purchase vacant and derelict properties and turn them back into homes, bringing life back to our town, village and city centres. We want people back living in our communities and that will be done by other positive measures we are bringing in or have brought in, such as the town centre first programme and the various grants - the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, and the town and village renewal scheme. We are putting money behind those positive projects and can see them in my county.”
“I agree with Deputy Lawlor that these are a blight on our communities. There should be nowhere to hide for people who have properties they are letting go into dereliction. Not only that but there are areas, as the Deputy highlighted, where the law is overcomplicating the matter. Those areas need to be addressed one by one. It is unacceptable. It is antisocial behaviour. I am declaring a war on derelict sites. We are tackling it. The implementation of a new derelict property tax will help significantly address dereliction. I understand Deputy Gould's proposals with this legislation but we are going way beyond that. I do not think increasing administration and reporting will be effective. As a number of Deputies pointed out, whatever the reason may be, local authorities have not been able to implement the existing legislation.”
“The Deputy and I agree that dereliction is an absolute blight on our society. However, he is misidentifying the cause of the problems relating to application and collection. We are of the view that we need to have a really robust collection method. The amount collected should be 100%, and that is why we are bringing in the amendments I have outlined to tackle dereliction. Dereliction is totally unacceptable and is a form of antisocial behaviour. I have said it before and I say it again - the people who own derelict properties are little more than rent seekers. Under my watch, there will be nowhere for them to hide when it comes to dereliction.”
“There has been significant interest in the grant since its launch, with 15,600 applications made to local authorities to date and over €230 million in funding paid out across the country. In December, I announced a new enhanced support package of up to €140,000 to bring vacant above-the-shop properties in our cities, towns and villages back into use. This package will be available from quarter 1. A compulsory purchase order activation programme was launched by my Department in April 2023. I also highlight THRIVE funding, the town centre first heritage and revival scheme, which represents a transformative opportunity, the living city initiative, which is a tax incentive scheme that has been extended in the recent budget, and the recently published national housing action plan, Delivering Homes and Building Communities.”
“As a result, the amendments proposed in this Private Members' Bill for a new section 23A to be inserted into the Derelict Sites Act 1990, which would require local authorities to report on their levy collective activities, are redundant. I want to highlight that the derelict property tax forms part of a wider package of measures. I refer here, for example, to the work of the vacant homes officers and town regeneration officers in local authorities, the implementation of the vacant homes action plan, a related resourcing of funding supports, the funding included in call 3 of the urban regeneration development fund and the vacant property refurbishment grant, which provides up to €70,000 in grant support.”
“By international standards, a rate of 7% is actually very high. The problem, as the Deputy rightly states, is that the levy is not being applied. This is why we are giving its collection to the Revenue Commissioners, which is effective in applying and collecting this type of levy. I recently met the deputy mayor of Paris, who is a member of the Communist Party, who is in awe of our rate of 7%. As I acknowledged when speaking to him, the problem here is that it is not being applied and collected. That is what I want to address. Importantly, the future collection of the derelict property tax will not be the responsibility of the local authorities.”
“Tackling dereliction and vacancy, whether in our villages, provincial towns or cities, is the other side of the coin, and it is so important that we tackle both. In the context of how the new legislation will work, the tax will be legislated for in this year's Finance Bill. This will be followed by a preliminary national register of derelict properties in 2027. Local authorities will still identify and assess derelict sites through their derelict sites registers. Crucially, the tax will be collected by the Revenue Commissioners. This will provide consistency and effectiveness in tax collection and enforcement. While the final rate of the tax still has to be confirmed, it is anticipated it will certainly be no lower than 7% of a property's market value. I certainly would not like to see any lower than that.”
“I agree with that intent, but I think he is taking the wrong mark in pointing at me or the Government, because it is the local authorities that have failed to use the existing legislation, which is strong enough but which is not being used. We are going to bring in new legislation to tackle this problem. We are doing an awful lot to tackle dereliction. One aspect of that involves strengthening the rules around how we charge people for dereliction and effectively try to compel them to do something with their properties. Ideally, they should fix up their properties or sell them to those who will actually use them. We are also taxing them in relation to their properties. We are also using a lot of carrots. We are supporting people to be able to acquire properties.”
“There should be 100% collection of the derelict sites levy. I see dereliction as antisocial behaviour. As far as I am concerned, rent seekers are responsible for what is happening because they are leaving their properties derelict. Regardless of whether you are a socialist or a capitalist, I am of the view that those properties should not be in the hands of the people to whom I refer. I am sure the socialist view would be that the properties should be taken from them. From a capitalist perspective, they should be forced to bloody sell them to people who would actually make proper use of them. Dereliction does not meet any ideology, and I have been very strong and clear in my comments on the matter. That is why I am opposing the Bill. I understand the intent behind the Deputy's Bill.”
“It is either to write a blank cheque for local authorities or to give them a free pass and ask me to step in and do the job for them. We either trust local government to do its job or we do not. Where it does not do what is required, we either take the power from it or give power to it where it needs to have it. In this case, local authorities have proved totally ineffective. I agree with the Deputy that the levy has not been applied. That is probably because of lobbying at a local level. That is, however, at a local level. We are going to get the Revenue Commissioners to collect this tax. Unlike the Deputy's proposal whereby if 25% or more of revenue is not being collected, a report should be compiled and we should debate it, we are giving responsibility for this matter to the Revenue Commissioners. I do not accept a threshold of 25%.”
“I thank the Deputies for the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I am opposing the Bill because the Government's proposals far exceed what is being proposed by the Opposition. We have gone beyond what is in the Bill by bringing in the derelict property tax. The Deputy spent a long time criticising the existing regime, but the only solution he offered is to keep it in place and increase the administrative requirements relating to reporting. That is the height of it. We are getting rid of it because it is totally ineffective. It is not ineffective because of the Government, which brought in the existing scheme; it is ineffective because the local authorities are not applying it. Every solution the Deputy brings forward always ticks one of a couple of boxes.”
“I will continue to work closely with Uisce Éireann and my colleagues across the Dáil and Seanad to ensure we remain firmly on the pathway to improved services delivery for all of our citizens.”
“Uisce Éireann is the national utility for drinking water and wastewater services, with the objective of providing a world-class public water service that meets customer needs, operates in line with best practice, represents value for money and facilitates economic development in urban and rural locations. The Government is committed to ensuring all areas of our water infrastructure are strengthened and that all our communities feel the benefits of this unprecedented investment in water services. Only a national water utility, backed by strong Government investment in water infrastructure, will deliver the standard of water and wastewater networks and environmental management systems required by our people for the 21st century.”
“The means include online, digital and social media channels, along with a free text alert service that provides water-supply updates and information to customers across 1. 6 million households and businesses. Uisce Éireann also maintains a vulnerable customer register, where more or specialist support is offered, particularly in the case of an incident. Uisce Éireann also provides a dedicated service for elected representatives. Over the past ten years, Uisce Éireann has responded to over 100,000 queries directly received from over 1,100 elected representatives. Uisce Éireann holds annual in-person councillor workshops for all 31 local authorities to provide an update on service delivery and current and future investment in each county. However, I accept that communications by Uisce Éireann need to be improved significantly.”
“Apart from being scrutinised by its statutory regulator, Uisce Éireann is also subject to rigorous financial scrutiny by way of dual audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General and commercial auditors, as well as being accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts and appearing before various other Oireachtas committees. I am well aware that there are concerns about communications between Uisce Éireann and the public, including public representatives. I met last year the chairman of Uisce Éireann and raised this issue. I have received assurances that it is a priority for the company. Uisce Éireann has constant contact with a diverse and large group of customers, communities and stakeholders through multiple channels daily.”
“When issues do arise and are identified by the EPA through its priority areas list, Uisce Éireann works actively to address these, with dedicated resources and specific plans. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, is the independent economic regulator of Uisce Éireann. The CRU provides a constraint over Uisce Éireann revenue, improving investment plans while monitoring performance and ensuring it runs efficiently. The CRU also has a role in protecting customers by setting service standards, handling complaints and providing dispute resolution for customer complaints that cannot be resolved with Uisce Éireann.”
“Under the revised national development plan, €11.7 billion is being invested in Uisce Éireann to secure our water infrastructure for the future. This investment covers every part of our water infrastructure and every community, from the smallest to the largest, both urban and rural. In terms of environmental compliance, it is important to acknowledge that Uisce Éireann consistently meets high standards in the supply of drinking water as outlined in the motion, confirming that water provided by Uisce Éireann is safe to drink. The most recent EPA report on wastewater treatment covering 2024 noted that 92% of our large urban areas comply with EU standards for wastewater and 96% of our bathing waters are also compliant.”
“The scale of remedial work necessary in our water and wastewater systems will however take a number of years and investment cycles to resolve. Where new treatment plants or significant upgrades of existing plants are required, the design, planning procurement, construction and commissioning processes can take significant time. Through the national development plan, the Government is delivering a sustainable funding path to drive significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services. Since its inception as Ireland’s single public water utility in 2014, Uisce Éireann has steadily grown its capital investment in our water infrastructure, from €300 million in 2014 to €1.4 billion in 2026. However, this is only the start.”
“It has also been stated and acknowledged many times in the House that a legacy of underinvestment in our water infrastructure by the local authorities means that there are many challenges Uisce Eireann is now seeking to address while also providing for significantly increased capacity for future business and population growth. We all see the evidence of the challenges in our constituencies linked to creaking infrastructure or the demands of growth. I am therefore working closely with Uisce Éireann to seek to ensure that the necessary resources are available to it and the challenges are tackled on a prioritised basis. There are record levels of funding being provided through the new national development plan.”
“I thank the Deputies for the opportunity to speak on this important matter. Our water infrastructure is vital to our health, our economy and our environment. Access to safe and clean drinking water for everyone is a top priority for the Government. The process of establishing Uisce Éireann as a stand-alone public utility continues to be a work in progress and it is only at the end of this year that the link with local authorities will finally be broken. The motivation for a stand-alone utility stems from the inherent inefficiencies of a fragmented network operated by 31 local authorities.”
“I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — the Government's vision for water services is set out in the Water Services Policy Statement 2024 to 2030 (February 2024), which sets out three main objectives; availability and reliability, safety and quality and sustainability, along with a series of related priorities for water services delivery in the period to 2030, and beyond; — the Government's Water Sector Transformation Policy Paper (February 2021) further sets the vision for water services based on the full integration of water services provided by 31 local authorities into one national authority; — the objective is to deliver a world-class public water services authority that meets customer needs, operates in line with best practice, represents value for money, and facilitates economic development in urban and rural locations; — Uisce Éireann is the national utility for drinking water and wastewater services; — Uisce Éireann manage and operate some 700 water treatment plants, 1,000 wastewater treatment plants and over 4,000 water and wastewater pumping stations; — Uisce Éireann oversees over 65,000 kilometres (km) of water pipes and over 26,000 km of public sewers all processing roughly 3 billion litres of water and wastewater every day; — all of these assets and all of this activity is dedicated to delivering vital services to almost two million homes and business premises; — Uisce Éireann supplies drinking water to over 80 per cent of the population, 10 per cent of households get their drinking water from private wells while the remaining 6 per cent of households have their drinking water supplied by group schemes; — in relation to wastewater, two thirds of households are connected to public wastewater services provided by Uisce Éireann, with virtually all of the remaining one third of households disposing of wastewater using septic tanks; — Uisce Éireann's Board has responsibility for ensuring that the company delivers on its mandate and properly accounts for the financial resources made available to it; — Uisce Éireann is subject to economic regulation by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, that provides a constraint over the funding while monitoring performance and providing a complaints resolution service to customers; and — Uisce Éireann is subject to a dual audit by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and commercial auditors along with being accountable to the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee; further notes that: — Uisce Éireann consistently meets high standards in the supply of drinking water, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) noting in its most recent report in 2024, that 99.8 per cent of drinking water supplies meet all relevant standards, confirming that water provided by Uisce Éireann is safe to drink and that the EPA is providing robust regulatory oversight of Uisce Éireann when issues do arise; — Uisce Éireann has completed new wastewater infrastructure for 135 towns and villages, including the elimination of raw sewage discharges from 15 towns and villages; — urban wastewater is fourth in terms of sectoral pressure on water bodies behind agriculture, hydromorphology and forestry; — in the past 11 years, Uisce Éireann has ramped up capital delivery for water services and infrastructure from €300 million in 2014 to roughly €1.3 billion in 2025; — finding and fixing leaks is difficult and resource intensive work, but investment by Uisce Éireann of €2 billion over the last ten years has meant that Uisce Éireann has made significant progress and reduced leakage nationally from 48 per cent to 36 per cent; and — Uisce Éireann has advanced major projects in water supply and wastewater treatment notably the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region and the Greater Dublin Drainage Project that will be transformational and two of the biggest infrastructure projects in the history of the State; and highlights that: — the Government is delivering a sustainable funding path to further enhance the ongoing significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services; — under the revised National Development Plan (NDP), the Government has scaled up support for the water sector with a record allocation of €12.2 billion in funding out to 2030; — Uisce Éireann will be allocated 95 per cent or €11.7 billion of the NDP funding over the next five years to support the delivery of a wide range of projects in our cities and regions required for housing delivery, safeguarding public health and the environment; — crucially, the delivery of the additional water services under the NDP will enable the capacity required for our new housing targets; — Uisce Éireann will implement a large national growth programme along with an enhanced Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme, to support our housing delivery for our urban and rural communities; and — only a national authority, backed by strong Government investment in water infrastructure, will deliver the standard of water and wastewater networks and environmental management systems required by Irish citizens and consumers in the 21st century.".”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 2) Regulations 2025, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 9th December, 2025.”
“It increases the exemption for animal housing by 50%, from 200 sq. m to 300 sq. m, and brings in an exemption for stand-alone slurry, effluent and soiled water to allow run-off. This is a very practical change and important measure, in particular for our small and medium farmers. I regularly deal with small and medium farmers and this will help them an awful lot. I am glad to see some of our Wexford farmers up in the Public Gallery. I wish the Ceann Comhairle and her family, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Deputy John McGuinness, and his family, a happy Christmas. I wish all their staff, the ushers and everybody working in the Oireachtas a happy Christmas.”
“I thank Deputies for their support for both of the exemption regulations I have moved this evening. The first is an exemption to allow commercial properties to be converted for residential purposes and to allow that exemption to last for another three years. We will be looking to make that a permanent change because it is absolutely crucial that we revitalise our rural communities, and urban areas as well. This is a really important element of doing that, along with all the other changes we are making, such as getting Government approval this week for over-the-shop funding, the vacant refurbishment grants we already have in place and, of course, the rural and urban regeneration funds. This is a really important exemption for rural Ireland but also for urban areas. The second exemption is really important for the farming community.”
“Therefore, it is important that both sets of regulations are supported to provide certainty to those wishing to avail of their use into the future.”
“This is due to the exemptions being a priority of Government. The proposed exemptions will be maintained in any exempted development regulations made under the Act of 2024 The purpose of the proposed regulations is to facilitate continued use of the change of vacant commercial to residential exemption until 2028, providing certainty on its availability. The agricultural exemptions provide support to the farming community to assist them in managing slurry, effluent and soiled water though increased storage capacity. If both sets of proposed regulations are approved by positive resolution of both Houses of the Oireachtas as required under section 262(4) of the Act of 2000, it is intended to have the regulations signed into law at the earliest opportunity.”
“Planning legislation provides general safeguards whereby planning exemptions are removed where works would materially affect a protected structure in accordance with section 57 of the Act of 2000 or where an environmental impact assessment or appropriate assessment is required in accordance with section 4(4) of the Act of 2000. Where planning exemptions are removed, planning permission is required. Where individuals are unsure whether they can avail of any exemption in planning, they may seek a declaration from a planning authority under section 5 of the Act of 2000 as to whether the proposed works are development and if such development is or is not exempted development. Similar to the change of use regulation, the draft regulation for agricultural exemptions is being prepared under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended.”
“Use of the exemptions requires that structures shall be constructed in accordance with Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage requirements and shall have regard to the need to avoid water pollution. An additional safeguard is that the use of class 6 or 6A agricultural exemptions requires the prospective developer to obtain a declaration from the relevant planning authority under section 5 of the Act of 2000 declaring the exemption is applicable prior to commencement of construction. This provides surety that the proposed locations comply with the requirements of the exemptions. The requirement for a section 5 declaration is not an added burden to farmers as farmers are already required to obtain this declaration as part of any TAMS grant application.”