The Minister for Housing needs to take responsibility for delivering critical water infrastructure for new homes, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said:
“In the Dáil today, I called on the Minister to make an emergency intervention to ensure that Uisce Éireann delivers the water and waste water infrastructure necessary for building 50,000 homes a year.
“It is not acceptable for a State-owned company to claim, as it has, that it has no mandate – or sufficient funding – to provide for future housing growth.
“I recently submitted a parliamentary question asking the Minister for Housing to confirm the number of housing developments waiting to commence because of water infrastructure delays.
“Bizarrely, my question was ruled out of order on the basis that the Minister for Housing has no official responsibility in this area to Dáil Éireann. This is despite the fact that the Department of Housing lists water as one of its five core policy areas; the Minister for Housing appoints the board of Uisce Éireann; and its shareholders are the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Public Expenditure.
“Uisce Éireann is a State-owned company, yet when we look for accountability, no minister is taking responsibility for water infrastructure delivery.
“Minister Browne must take emergency action and immediately allocate sufficient funding to Uisce Éireann to ensure that lack of water infrastructure is not a barrier to future housing growth.”
April 10, 2025