Brian Stanley: Fix Rural Housing with Village Service Sites
Brian Stanley urged urgent action on rural housing and infrastructure in County Laois, calling for serviced village-edge sites and upgrades to water and wastewater systems. He highlighted local blockages, saying utility provider Uisce Éireann is refusing connections that would unlock housing and support rural communities.
Main demand: Stanley sets out a practical solution for sustainable rural housing. He argues that one-off family homes must remain possible for farmers, forestry workers and others, but a broader approach is needed: small serviced sites on the edge of villages with quarter-acre plots connected to water, sewerage, electricity and broadband.
Local examples and obstacles: He named Laois villages as having storage capacity for another 150 homes in its pumping station, but says Uisce Éireann is refusing to allow connections or new works to proceed.
What he wants from government: Stanley called on the Department and councils to support service-site programmes and to press the utility to deliver connections and network upgrades. He urged investment in sewerage treatment plants and water supply networks so villages can offer sustainable housing within walking distance of shops, schools and transport.
Consequences and urgency: Without immediate upgrades and a clear programme for serviced sites, Stanley warns rural areas will continue to lose people and services. He frames the issue as practical and solvable, but requires central government intervention and a willingness by the utility to cooperate.
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Thanks Cathaoirleach, and I welcome this discussion on rural policy, I think it's welcome. The biggest issue is housing and services in rural areas. We have people in rural areas, we don't have anything. And sustainable housing is the key to this, and for that we need infrastructure. And those who are engaged in agriculture, forestry and other rural employment must continue to be allowed to build one off on family land or on inappropriate locations. But there also needs to be housing for a whole lot of people living in rural areas and their families who are engaged in other activities. And we have to come up with a practical solution to this. And you know, given the stricter regulations around one off housing and all that, and environmental concerns, and the fact that not everybody owns land, that one part of this has to be service sites in villages, and right on the edge of villages, not half a mile up the road, right where they can be serviced, provided by the local council. Leish County Council is already doing a small number of these, but I'm asking that government and the department get behind these. Service sites right on the edge of villages, there could be a quarter of an acre where somebody builds their own house on it, within walking distance of their local shop, school, church, sports field, etc. Connected to water, sewerage, internet and electricity. And there's some good examples of where this is happening. But this requires upgrading sewerage treatment plants and water supply networks. And in Leish villages such as Ballybrittas, Ballyroan, Ballynacill, Ballylinan, Burleson Ostry, Ballycalla and Timohoe, could all be developed further if water and wastewater infrastructure was upgraded. Ballybrittas and Timohoe and Ballycalla, they don't even have a sewerage treatment plant for the village. And they're ideal locations for service sites. Ballybrittas, right beside the N7 motorway, and within five minutes of a drive to their local railway station in Munster-Evan, has capacity. That actually has storage capacity in the pumping station there for another 150 homes. But Ishkeren are refusing to allow it to go ahead. And they're refusing to connect the existing houses in the village. And they've tried to pass it back and forward with the council. But the council can't do it because it's not their responsibility any longer. It needs a network. It needs a sewerage collection network to the existing houses and also to allow for new developments in the village, which is right on the commuter belt. Small towns and villages. And one of the interesting things about Ballybrittas is it's actually included in Ishkeren's local towns, small towns and villages programme. It's actually in their programme and yet they won't do it. And the department need to take this up and push it with them. It's beside the N7. It's five minutes from the railway station. They need to be told to get on with this. We need to have those services there to provide the housing, sustainable rural housing in County Leish.
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