Kieran O'Donnell
Limerick City · Fine Gael · Ireland
“The triangle of supports of home care, day care and meals on wheels services — including dementia-specific supports — plays a vital role in helping older people to age well in their own communities. Meals on wheels services provide much more than nutritious meals.”
“The organisation currently operates a day care service four days per week, supporting approximately 60 registered users, and a meals on wheels service with 104 registered users. The HSE has advised that increased funding has been committed to support the organisation.”
“I join the Leas-Chathaoirleach in welcoming the Kellehers to the Seanad, which is a beautiful building in its own right. I thank Senator Kelleher for raising this important matter. He has advocated for Westgate Foundation over a sustained period of time and that has to be acknowledged. I know the work it does is close to his heart.”
“I again thank the Senator for raising Westgate Foundation in Ballincollig and the work it does on behalf of the community, particularly older people. The Senator referred to housing on-site. It is very much an integrated model. I could see how committed the staff and the board, many of them voluntary, were.”
“The Government has significantly increased investment in meals on wheels services in recent years. Funding increased from €3.5 million in 2022 to €6.25 million in 2025, with a further €2 million allocated in budget 2026 to support service expansion and maintenance.”
“The shared objective of the HSE and Westgate Foundation is to ensure high-quality day care and meals on wheels services continue to be available to older people who rely on them, particularly in the greater Ballincollig area.”
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“We can say we are always looking to increase the level of funding that has gone into home care, but it has increased to €838 million from a base of just over €400 million in 2020. It is such that between 58,000 and 60,000 people are receiving the service. The key thing is that, since last December, we have seen a significant reduction in the numbers. Deputy Gould might want to bring me the particular human case he spoke about because there is a huge human factor here. I am obviously engaging with the officials and with the HSE. Furthermore, I will meet again with the HSE on the particular matter to see what we can do to make further improvements to reduce the numbers on the waiting lists. It is fair to say there has been significant investment in the area, certainly over the past five years.”
“There are two elements here. There are people who have existing hours and need more and there are people who need new services.”
“It is across the spectrum and there are different areas. As regards the Deputy's area of CHO 8, the additional hours provided to March 2025 were 434 in terms of people waiting. The total number of people waiting was 791. At the end of December 2024, that number was 932. We have seen a reduction of 141 in the number of people waiting. This is a positive. At the end of December 2024, then, the figure for people waiting was 932, while at the end of March 2025 it was 791. This is an improvement of 141 people, which is a 15% improvement. In terms of the number of people receiving home care support packages in CHO 8, there were 9,113 at the end of March 2025. This was an improvement from March 2024, when the figure was 8,137. This was an increase of 676 people, which equals 8%. We are always seeking to improve the system and deliver.”
“As at the end of March 2025, the latest preliminary data indicates that 5.97 million hours had been delivered, an increase of approximately 5.5% since March last year. Nationally, the waiting list for home support reduced to 4,888 people at the end of March, with 2,693 people waiting for additional home support hours and 2,195 people waiting for a new package. No one was waiting for funding to be allocated. The waiting list was approximately 17% higher at the same time last year. Priority is given to those in the community with acute needs and those assessed and in hospitals who can return home with supports.”
“Improving access to home support is a priority for this Government. Home support hours have increased every year since 2020, from 17.8 million hours in 2020 to a funded target of over 24 million hours in 2025, including intensive and complex home support. The HSE has reported that 5,556 people were assessed and waiting on the provision of home support at the end of 2024, including those waiting for a carer to be assigned and those waiting on funding to be allocated. This is a substantial reduction since the start of 2020, when over 9,000 people were waiting across both categories. Of the people assessed and waiting, 3,073 had a home support service in place but required additional hours, while 2,483 people were waiting for a new package.”
“The Department secured record levels of investment in water services by Uisce Éireann in the period 2021 to 2025. This was reflected in budget 2025 when it secured record funding of €2.2 billion, including €514 million of a €1 billion equity investment, for Uisce Éireann to meet the cost of delivering water services in 2025. The overall investment and the specific improvements in our public water and wastewater services support improved water supplies across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine areas. This makes a significant contribution to addressing Ireland's needs.”
“I thank Senator Scahill again for raising this important matter. As he stated, he will follow this up with the Minister, Deputy Browne, and his office. The Senator made specific reference to Cloonfad and Lowberry Cross. I will bring that matter to the attention of the Minister and his officials. On a general note, I reiterate the Department's commitment to the promotion and development of rural communities in addition to the work of Uisce Éireann. More than €143 million of funding has been provided for the period 2021 to 2025 under the national development plan for non-Uisce Éireann investment in the rural water sector. The multi-annual rural water programme is a primary funding stream which provides capital funding to address the challenges faced by rural water sections in maintaining, renewing and developing their systems and networks.”
“The Uisce Éireann strategic funding plan for 2025 to 2029 sets out Uisce Éireann's multiannual strategic investment of €16.9 billion to 2029, which represents an unprecedented level of funding in our water infrastructure. Our water and wastewater infrastructure, however, requires substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to bring the system up to the standard required of a modern service to provide for population growth and to build resilience in the face of climate change.”
“The EPA maintains a priority action list, PAL, for areas where it deems wastewater treatment improvements are needed and a remedial action list, RAL, where it deems public water supplies are in need of corrective action. Under its programme to eliminate raw sewage discharges, up to 23 December 2023, Uisce Éireann built new wastewater infrastructure for 31 towns and villages where none existed before, ending the unacceptable discharge of raw sewage into the environment. Uisce Éireann is progressing plans to deal with both lists, reporting regularly to the EPA on progress. Uisce Éireann has ramped up capital delivery for water services and infrastructure, from €300 million in 2014 to roughly €1.3 billion in 2024.”
“The small towns and villages growth programme was established in direct response to requirements for rural support under the national planning framework and is one of a number of capital programmes under Uisce Éireann’s overall capital investment plan. This is a national programme to cater for growth in smaller towns and villages where Uisce Éireann has existing infrastructure in place. Local authorities support the programme by identifying communities in need of investment. To date, 39 projects have been confirmed to be delivered through the programme nationally and an additional 11 projects in towns and villages will also be delivered through alternative Uisce Éireann programmes.”
“These services are a matter for Uisce Éireann, which has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The progress of individual projects are matters for Uisce Éireann and approved through its own board and internal governance structures. The Minister has no functional relation to operational matters. Uisce Éireann supports the Department of Rural and Community Development to deliver specific actions under the Our Rural Future policy. Its key action within Our Rural Future is to invest in infrastructure, including water and wastewater infrastructure, to support the development of rural towns and villages.”
“I thank Senator Scahill for raising this issue today. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne, my colleague in the Department. I will give a general response and then address specifically the areas in Roscommon, Cloonfad and Lowberry Cross, that were raised. I would suggest that Senator Scahill writes directly to the Minister on those particular villages and make specific reference to them. I have no doubt the Minister and the Department will revert to him. In terms of how the Senator framed the question in terms of a plan for replacement of older water infrastructure in rural areas, at the outset I should advise that the Water Services Act 2007 sets out the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Uisce Éireann.”
“In recent years, as part of the ongoing reform programme, the National Ambulance Service has established a range of see-and-treat alternative care pathways. These include a pathway service whereby advanced paramedics and occupational therapists visit primarily older people in their homes or in community care. Finally, I reiterate my thanks to the staff of our National Ambulance Service and emphasise the Government's commitment to investing in building further capacity in the service and overseeing continuous strategic reform.”
“I again thank Senator McCormack for raising this important matter. In my opening reply I outlined the commitment of this Government, with significant additional funding for the National Ambulance Service in 2025. I will bring the particular point the Senator has raised in respect of Laois to the attention of my colleague, Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, the Department and the National Ambulance Service. I will ask them - no doubt they will have looked in on this debate - to take on board what the Senator has said. By way of general observation, as well as additional emergency ambulances, this extra investment in staffing will also benefit patients who do not need an emergency response or to be brought to a busy hospital emergency department.”
“I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the staff of the NAS and all our ambulance services for their commitment and dedication to patient care, both in County Laois and across the country. I will bring the point Senator McCormack raised to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, Department officials and the National Ambulance Service.”
“As I alluded to, patient demand for NAS services continues to rise, with nearly 430,000 urgent and emergency calls received last year, representing an increase of 8% from 2023. The further development and expansion of alternative pathways of care are, therefore, vital in transforming the delivery of urgent and emergency care, improving patient access to care and enhancing patient healthcare experiences and outcomes. With around 7% of all urgent and emergency calls now being triaged to the national emergency operations centre clinical hub for successful treatment through an alternative care pathway, the National Ambulance Service is committed to the continuous development of these pathways, which preserve front-line emergency ambulances for higher acuity responses.”
“It is the case, however, that, with significant increases in urgent and emergency call activity nationally, which between 2019 and 2024 has seen the total number of calls rise by nearly a quarter, some lower acuity patient calls have, at particularly busy periods, experienced a longer wait for an ambulance. The Government continues to prioritise increased investment in our National Ambulance Service. This year’s allocation of €285 million for the NAS includes €8 million for new service developments to deliver up to 180 additional posts. This will help to support capacity building in our front-line emergency services, further expand the NAS suite of alternative care pathways and help to further develop NAS specialist services.”
“Ambulance resources across the country, including in County Laois, are deployed by the NAS dynamically in line with international best practice. This means the NAS prioritises resource allocation to the highest acuity calls that require an immediate emergency response. The national emergency operations centre has oversight and visibility of all pre-hospital emergency resources nationally. This allows the National Ambulance Service to dispatch resources in the most efficient and effective way, ensuring that the nearest available emergency resource to the scene of an emergency is always dispatched. The operation of dynamic deployment has served to address some of the historical safety issues that occurred under the old ambulance station-based static system, where the nearest ambulance did not always respond to an emergency call.”
“The Laois-Offaly region is also served through the national emergency operations centre clinical hub, which advises callers on locally available alternative care pathways, as well as five active community first responder schemes. Further support is provided by the emergency aeromedical support service based in Athlone, as well as the Irish Coast Guard search and rescue service. I am aware of the recent press coverage concerning ambulance coverage in County Laois, in particular anxiety expressed by local public representatives, including Senator McCormack, that ambulances normally based in Laois are being sent out of the county on other calls. It may be helpful, therefore, if I detail the system of national ambulance deployment operated by the National Ambulance Service.”
“I thank Senator McCormack for raising this issue today, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I wish to update the House on the delivery of pre-hospital emergency care in County Laois and the vital pre-hospital emergency response role delivered by our National Ambulance Service, NAS. The National Ambulance Service serves the Laois-Offaly region from four bases located in Portlaoise, Edenderry, Birr and Tullamore. All four bases are staffed by a highly skilled workforce of pre-hospital emergency care practitioners. In the past 18 months, front-line ambulance staffing in the NAS Dublin-Midlands health region has increased by almost 10%.”
“The Minister will work to continue to raise standards and instil confidence in patient safety among the public. The key focus now is on getting the report finalised, which is due to the Minister relatively soon. She has given a commitment on the floor of the House that she would very much welcome a debate on the final report with everyone involved in order to do justice to the families and their children.”
“As the Minister stated, pending completion of the audit, all DDH cases are being reviewed through a single process before any decisions in respect of surgery are finalised. This process includes clinicians from Crumlin, Temple Street and Cappagh. Plans are being put in place for clinical follow-up in line with good practice and it is required to consider any recommendations to the final report. It is really the basis for that meaningful discussion out of respect for everyone, particularly the parents and their children, and have that debate in the House to have a meaningful structure based on a final report. A communication plan is being developed to support the publication of the final report and further communication with parents and families. The Government will continue to work to improve services for children and young people.”
“As the Minister indicated, this is an important issue, especially for the families involved and particularly their children. This is about children. As a parent, I know the impact that has on children and, in particular, parents. We all value our children. I imagine it is very difficult for the parents. It is a very worrying time for children and their families. The Minister has committed to ensuring they will be kept informed as we move through the process and that the final HSE data will be shared with them once completed. CHI and National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh have written to families in recent weeks and provided contact details for queries that patients or their families may have in advance of the final report.”
“I wish to begin by thanking everyone for taking part in this very important debate. I echo the Minister's opening remarks. She stated that she is awaiting the final report of the clinical audit into surgeries for DDH in the coming weeks before any conclusions can be drawn on the matter. The Minister has gone on record as saying she would welcome a debate once she has received the report and it is published. Obviously, confidentiality aspects will have to be taken into account, but it is important to have a really meaningful debate based on a report compiled by an expert international surgeon. We have to have that clinical audit completed. Further details will be shared once the procedures process concludes. It is correct to respect confidentiality and due process.”
“The benefit of our strategic approach to cancer control is shown by the improvement in the number of patients living after receiving a cancer diagnosis, which currently is 220,000 compared with 150,000 when the strategy was brought to the Government in 2017. On the point the Senator made about the 0.5 rate and what date, I will follow up with the officials on that and have them correspond with her. Might I suggest that she writes to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, as well seeking clarification on that particular point.”
“I thank Senator Harmon, and she will be following up the Department of further and higher education. On the 0.5 rate, I am not precisely certain what the date is but it is perhaps something the Senator might follow up on directly with the Department. I will bring it to the attention of the officials and ask that they respond to the Senator on that point. I am assuming it is a relatively up-to-date because the figure we have quoted in terms of staffing is an up-to-date one. I thank Senator Harmon for her contribution on this matter. Successive national cancer control programmes have delivered continued improvements in outcomes for Irish cancer patients, developing radiotherapy services and ensuring improved outcomes for patients with less invasive treatment and fewer side effects.”
“The recruitment process for these posts is due to commence before the end of this month. A national radiation therapist review report was completed in 2024. The review made 16 recommendations that are intended to support and enhance the radiation therapy profession. In line with the recommendations of the review, the professional registration requirements for radiation therapists have also been reviewed. This brings Ireland into line with international comparators. The demand for radiotherapy services is increasing year by year in line with expectations identified by the National Cancer Registry Ireland and the national cancer control programme. The Government remains fully committed to the continued implementation of the national cancer strategy and to improving radiation therapy capacity to ensure timely treatment for patients.”
“The HSE recognises the importance of this and, where deemed clinically necessary, patients are referred to private service providers and an investment of around €10 million per year is spent on outsourcing radiotherapy appointments to ensure timely treatment. As Senator Harmon noted, there was a staff shortage of 30% in radiation therapy posts in March 2024, and I am pleased to note the efforts of the HSE in making improvements in the past year. By last month, this deficit had been reduced to 14% to 22% across the three services and work is being done to improve this further. In budget 2025, €23 million was secured for the national cancer strategy. Funding will be used to recruit additional staff, including two consultant radiation oncologists, six advanced practice radiotherapists and a number of other clinical positions.”
“In 2024, the HSE provided more than 6,600 patients with radiotherapy treatment. The HSE national cancer control programme has advised that Galway, Dublin and Cork all record inactivity rates equal to 0.5 of a machine, and this is largely due to staffing issues. I have checked that and it is 0.5 of a machine within each area. I have given the Senator the data that Galway has four machines, Cork has five machines and Dublin network has 14 machines. I sought clarification on that point. The linear accelerators are used for an average of nine hours a day and up to 11 hours when necessary. This time utilisation is similar when compared with international counterparts such as Sweden, Canada and the UK. Evidence shows that providing timely therapy to patients improves outcomes.”
“I thank Senator Harmon for raising this Commencement matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. There are three public radiation therapy services that operate linear accelerator machines in Ireland. These are located in Galway, Cork and Dublin across the St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network. There are a total of 22 linear accelerators across three services: Galway has four machines, Cork has five machines and the Dublin network has 14 machines. The HSE also contracts radiotherapy services from two private providers in Limerick and Waterford. There is also a service level agreement between the HSE and Health and Social Care Northern Ireland to provide radiotherapy on a cross-Border basis at the North West Cancer Centre in Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Derry.”
“Once the licence is granted Uisce Éireann can then carry out the work to complete the preliminary business case and can provide better clarity on the likely timescale to complete this project. There are two further elements. The officials in my Department did follow up with Uisce Éireann today to see exactly where this was at. We have been told that it applied in December. We pressed the importance of progressing this project. Certainly the residents of Newport will be kept updated, as will the public representatives, as to any further updates we get from Uisce Éireann on this project. I suggest the Deputy keep in contact with the Minister, Deputy Browne, and the Department to see precisely where it is at, but we will keep up our engagement with Uisce Éireann on this matter for the people of Newport.”
“I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As I have said, the Newport wastewater treatment plant is currently at preliminary business case stage 2. Uisce Éireann will develop a shortlist of solutions identifying preferred options and will calculate estimated costs. A significant amount of data gathering, surveys and assessments are required to support various consenting processes. A licence is required to carry out the surveys needed to develop the maritime model. Uisce Éireann applied to MARA in December 2024 to obtain a maritime usage licence, to carry out the necessary survey works. There is ongoing engagement with Uisce Éireann and MARA to progress the application. MARA carries out its work as a statutory body and I would expect that Uisce Éireann is in contact with MARA to look to progress the licence application itself.”
“Uisce Éireann applied to the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, in December 2024 to obtain a licence, known as a maritime usage licence, to carry out the survey work. Uisce Éireann has had ongoing engagement with MARA to progress the licence application. Once a licence is granted, Uisce Éireann can then carry out the work to complete the preliminary business case and provide better clarity on the likely timescale for completion of this project.”
“This will ensure that Newport complies with the urban wastewater treatment directive while at the same time allowing the economic growth of the town. The Newport wastewater treatment plant is at preliminary business case stage 2, which Deputy Lawless referenced, where Uisce Éireann will develop a shortlist of solutions, identify the preferred option and calculate an estimated cost. A significant amount of data gathering, surveys and assessments are required to support the various consenting processes. Detailed assessments of existing outfalls and marine modelling of receiving waters are also needed to meet the planning requirements for projects such as Newport. A licence is required to carry out the surveys needed to develop a marine model.”
“In addition to the 34 completed sites, it has seven locations under construction across the country. This means 41 out of the 50 locations either have brand new infrastructure in place or have projects under construction. There are plans for the rest, prioritising the areas where it can make the biggest impacts first. Two projects have been completed in Mayo, in Belmullet and Killala, and work is ongoing to progress Newport. Newport currently has two historical septic tanks that do not provide effective treatment for the wastewater generated in the town. Uisce Éireann plans to decommission these septic tanks and build a new wastewater treatment plant and a marine outfall for treated wastewater.”
“The Minister, Deputy Browne, made inquiries with Uisce Éireann and has been informed that in December 2024, Uisce Éireann took over 50 areas where raw sewage was discharging untreated into the environment. Many of these areas required complex projects to plan and to deliver, and three of them were Killala, Belmullet and Newport in County Mayo. Given the scale of the challenge of addressing this situation in 50 locations and the level of investment that would be needed to address the discharges, Uisce Éireann needed to prioritise the areas with the largest volume of sewage being discharged and having the biggest impact on the environment. Since 2014, Uisce Éireann has built new wastewater infrastructure for 34 towns and villages across the country, ending the discharge of raw sewage into the environment.”
“I thank Deputy Lawless for raising this important issue. I will reply on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Browne. This matter has been raised by Oireachtas colleagues of the Deputy's from Mayo, notably the Minister of State, Deputy Alan Dillon, who is here. It is obviously a matter of huge concern for the public representatives and the people of Newport. Deputy Lawless will appreciate that the operation of the public water supply, together with operational issues locally, are matters for Uisce Éireann, which has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels.”
“The purpose of the water capacity register is to provide an indication of the available capacity to support development. Sufficient funding has already been secured for Uisce Éireann under its new strategic plan. The Government is delivering a sustainable pathway for further enhanced and ongoing significant improvements in our public water and water services. Conservation of the water supply is also a key policy for the Government. I thank all those who have contributed today and I note the work being done on the ground every day by Uisce Éireann and its staff to maintain our water service and bring improvements to it. Improving and strengthening our water infrastructure is vital and the Government is committed to ensuring substantial funding is provided to Uisce Éireann to deliver on its mandate.”
“The disadvantage may arise if the developer funds new network infrastructure as part of their connection and these assets have wider network benefits in the future. This can be a great disadvantage for the developer as subsequent developers connecting may benefit from the connection of assets put in place at the cost of the first mover developer. From November 2023, developers impacted by first mover disadvantage may qualify for a rebate under this scheme. As part of Uisce Éireann's commitment to supporting growth and development, it published the annual water supply and wastewater treatment capacity registers. The purpose of these capacity registers is to assist planning authorities in their forward planning activities. Capacity of the water supply changes based on the availability and demand of existing customers.”
“A number of changes were introduced for Uisce Éireann under Housing for All, including the establishment of a self-lay accreditation scheme to facilitate developers in providing water services infrastructure, provided agreed standards are met. The scheme accredits experienced contractors to deliver new water services infrastructure on public roads for housing developers. It was launched 18 months ago, ahead of schedule. Uisce Éireann introduced a first mover disadvantage scheme in November 2023. This can occur in areas of new development where a first mover developer triggers new network infrastructure and incurs the costs associated with connecting their lands to the existing Uisce Éireann network.”
“The key point is that the Government recognises that the wastewater networks require ongoing sustained investment to bring them to the required standard of treatment to deal with population growth and to adapt to the impact of climate change. Deputy Ó Muirí also made reference to sewage in Dublin Bay. I very much take that on board. Deputy Ward raised the same issue. It is important that we have a process here, involving a structured body to upgrade the old water networks and to provide new networks as well. We want to continue to ensure that Irish Water can carry this out and keep it going. I referred to the strategic plan and the funding we are giving in that area.”
“The Government is the shareholder of Uisce Éireann, through the Minister for housing and the Minister for public expenditure and reform. They report in terms of oversight from the Government and overall development matters, but the operational matters themselves lie with Uisce Éireann. We want to fund Uisce Éireann. It is hugely important that it continues to upgrade the water network. Deputy Heneghan referred to the fact that it is a project that will take time. Progress has been made. One of the points that also came across is that the benefits are evident. Deputy Malcolm Byrne made reference to the Arklow sewerage network, which is being upgraded, both in terms of the impact it has had and more particularly the interaction with Irish Water staff on the ground, and how positive that was.”
“Such houses are on private land but blockages are something we will take up with Irish Water, in addition to water softeners. Speakers also raised the key role that Irish Water will have to play in the provision of housing. Many constituency issues were raised. I ask Members to write to the Department and to the Minister and to raise those specific points. Department officials are watching the debate, as is the Minister while I am here. Quite a number of speakers raised issues relating to the elderly, which is within my remit in both the health and housing areas. I urge Members to write to us in that regard. Deputy Catherine O'Callaghan referred to Carlow. It is a matter she already raised with the Minister, Deputy Browne. That is something we will examine. Operational matters relating to water services lie with Uisce Éireann.”
“First, I want to deal with some common general themes that emerged when I looked through the points Members raised and then I will try to respond to the specific matters raised by the Members who are still here. Communication was a common thread. I acknowledge the great work done by staff on the ground in Uisce Éireann. They are doing great work. It is coming across that Members want to look at the whole issue of communications, both nationally for Oireachtas Members, and for public representatives such as councillors and the general public. That is something the officials in the Department and the Minister, Deputy Browne, will follow up on. Another issue that was raised was water softeners. It came up on numerous occasions that it should be available at source. Deputy Healy and others referred to pipework in private houses in an area.”
“The strategic funding plan has a total funding requirement of €16.9 billion, of which €12.1 billion is voted Exchequer funding. The strategic funding plan has a capital investment requirement of €10.2 billion, of which €9.8 billion is voted Exchequer funding. To meet increased housing targets, Uisce Éireann will require additional funding on top of the strategic funding plan over the next five years, which will be ring-fenced for housing and growth. This additional funding will be considered as part of the NDP review, which is due to be completed in the middle of the year. Once again, I put on record that there will be no introduction of a household water conservation charge. It is not in the programme for Government and it will not be introduced. That is categorical. That is once again being put on the record.”
“Uisce Éireann also maintains the source of our water, with more than 1,100 abstractions and more than 1,500 reservoirs connected to tens of thousands of kilometres of pipes. Millions of households and businesses are supplied every day with water and wastewater services, with thousands of treatment plants running around the clock. We are dealing with a legacy issue of underinvestment in water services and infrastructure in Ireland. The scale of remedial works necessary in our water and wastewater system will take a number of years and investment cycles to fully resolve. We are putting substantial funding into Uisce Éireann. The funding plan for Uisce Éireann for 2025 to 2029 was approved in November 2024 and sets out the capital and operational costs to be incurred by Uisce Éireann over a multi-annual period.”
“We have had a debate for more than three hours with 38 contributions, which shows the significance of the issue for people. I thank everyone who has taken part in the debate. I will touch on a few general points and then I will try to address some of the points that were raised by Members. I want to reflect on the progress has been made since Uisce Éireann was established as Irish Water more than ten years ago. In that time much improvement has been made in the delivery of water services. Thousands of kilometres of new rehabilitated water mains have been installed and leaks have been reduced, although I accept that the leakage rate is still very high. The overall quality of drinking water remains high. Every day Uisce Éireann treats approximately 1.7 billion litres of water and 1.2 billion litres of wastewater.”
“Now that the revision of the national planning framework has been agreed and published, and noting that it will require approval of the Houses of the Oireachtas, work will commence in terms of working with local authorities and revising their plans in line with the new national planning framework. It is important to mention that the programme for Government includes a commitment to deliver an average of 12,000 new social homes per year for the lifetime of the Government. We will also engage with local authorities on the individual targets as the work I have outlined today progresses.”
“In the context of the Planning and Development Act, there are changes in terms of applying for extension of planning permissions. That will be facilitated. The Deputy made specific points. I thank Deputy Timmins for raising these important matters. We are fully committed to delivering social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment that is being provided for the delivery of housing in 2025. The overall capital funding now available is almost €6.8 billion, with a further €1.6 billion in current funding to address need. The revised targets and annual profile align with the draft revision of the national planning framework, which provides for approximately 50,000 homes per annum. The target will take account of new homes and pent-up demand.”
“The Deputy made practical points and suggestions. I suggest that he follow up on his detailed proposals directly with the Minister, Deputy James Browne, and Minister of State, Deputy Cummins. In my own role in the Department, I am over housing for the elderly in the context of local authorities. I will respond to the Deputy's point about An Bord Pleanála. Under the new Planning and Development Act, An Bord Pleanála will have to meet statutory deadlines for the first time ever. That was not the case up to now, the Deputy is correct. It will make an enormous difference. The Deputy raised other points. The Department will be monitoring. The Deputy is calling for additional points on top of that, for example, a correlation between infrastructure and housing. The Deputy has other moves he would like to see in terms of planning permissions.”