Martin Daly says planning and wastewater block rural growth
Martin Daly said inconsistent planning and a shortage of wastewater infrastructure prevent small towns and villages from growing, despite government investment under the CLAW and RRDF schemes. He welcomed a new wastewater treatment plant in Baligar, his own town of Ishgair, but warned many communities, including Ruscon and Galway, remain constrained.
He welcomed year-on-year government investment in rural towns and villages under the CLAW and RRDF schemes and praised the allocation that delivered a new wastewater treatment plant in Baligar (Ishgair).
Daly highlighted the challenge of retaining and attracting people to villages, saying younger people want to return but growth is blocked by inconsistency in planning and a lack of serviced sites in many small towns and villages.
In reply, the record states the Planning Commission will be established shortly as per the new Act, but speakers stressed that wastewater treatment capacity remains the critical barrier to development.
The response also set out that new protocols have been developed to facilitate agreements between Irish Water and local developers, allowing developers of new housing schemes to build wastewater treatment plants to Irish Water specifications with provision for regular inspection. This approach was presented as a way to cumulatively unlock housing potential across rural towns, and the Minister of Housing is working on this with Irish Water.
Government investment and local welcome
He welcomed year-on-year government investment in rural towns and villages under the CLAW and RRDF schemes and praised the allocation that delivered a new wastewater treatment plant in Baligar (Ishgair).
Planning and service site constraints
Daly highlighted the challenge of retaining and attracting people to villages, saying younger people want to return but growth is blocked by inconsistency in planning and a lack of serviced sites in many small towns and villages.
Planning Commission and legislative steps
In reply, the record states the Planning Commission will be established shortly as per the new Act, but speakers stressed that wastewater treatment capacity remains the critical barrier to development.
Irish Water protocols and housing potential
The response also set out that new protocols have been developed to facilitate agreements between Irish Water and local developers, allowing developers of new housing schemes to build wastewater treatment plants to Irish Water specifications with provision for regular inspection. This approach was presented as a way to cumulatively unlock housing potential across rural towns, and the Minister of Housing is working on this with Irish Water.
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Transcript
I'd just like to welcome the commendable investment year on year by the government in rural towns and villages, both under the CLAW scheme, as you pointed out, Taoiseach, and the RRDF scheme. But I suppose one of the challenges that remains is that we need to retain our people in our villages and, say, 30, 40 years ago people were emigrating because of lack of employment. Now young people want to come back and live in our villages, but there's a problem with inconsistency with planning and also infrastructure such as wastewater treatment plants to allow small towns and villages to grow. I welcome the investment in Baligar, my own town of Ishgair, in a new wastewater treatment plant, but there are many small towns and villages that just can't grow because they don't have service sites and also because of an inconsistency in planning with the authorities. And I specifically mention Ruscon and Galway. Thank you. Deputy Martin Daly raised a very important point in terms of development within rural towns and villages, particularly the planning issue, and the Planning Commission will be established shortly as per the new Act, but critically wastewater treatment plants. And I have discussed this with Irish water and my understanding is new protocols have been developed to facilitate agreements between Irish water and local developers or builders that if they're building a new housing scheme that they would have permission to build a wastewater treatment plant in accordance with specifications laid down by Irish water and also facilitating regular inspection towns and towns, because with the best will in the best will in the world, Irish water isn't going to get around to every rural village and town in Ireland, but it could unlock a lot of housing potential cumulatively across the country. So we're going to continue to focus on that and the Minister of Housing is working on that with Irish water.