2026-04-15

I will today highlight an issue of critical importance to the people of north Cork, namely, the urgent need to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant in Kanturk. Kanturk is a proud and growing town with a strong community spirit, vibrant local businesses and enormous potential for future development. However, that potential is being held back by infrastructure that is no longer fit for purpose. The current wastewater treatment plant in Kanturk is operating at or beyond its capacity. This is not just a technical issue; it has real and tangible consequences for the town. It is restricting housing development, limiting business expansion and placing unnecessary pressure on local planning decisions. Quite simply, without adequate water infrastructure, Kanturk cannot grow in the way it needs to. At a time when we are facing a national housing crisis, it is deeply frustrating that towns like Kanturk, which are willing and able to accommodate growth, are being constrained by outdated infrastructure. We cannot continue to speak about balanced regional development while allowing bottlenecks like this to persist. Local families are also feeling the impact. Young people who want to build or buy homes in their own communities are facing delays and uncertainty. Developers are also hesitant to proceed with projects due to capacity concerns and businesses are also limited in their ability to expand and create jobs within the town of Kanturk. This is not acceptable and it is not sustainable. Investment in wastewater infrastructure might not always grab headlines, but it is absolutely fundamental in delivering housing, supporting economic growth and protecting our environment. An upgraded treatment plant in Kanturk would unlock significant opportunities, enabling new housing developments, supporting local enterprise and ensuring compliance with environmental standards. I acknowledge the work of Uisce Éireann in the area to date and the engagement that has taken place with Cork County Council and the EPA with regard to putting in some bridging infrastructure and modular infrastructure alongside the current treatment plant. However, what is now needed is a clear commitment and prioritisation in respect of delivery. The people of Kanturk need certainty. They need to know that this project is not just being discussed, but that it is being actively progressed. We must ensure that Kanturk is included as a priority in the capital investment programme. Funding must be allocated, timelines must be set and the project must move forward without any more unnecessary delays. This is about more than pipes and plants; it is about the future of a town and its people. It is about giving communities the tools they need to thrive. Kanturk has a great deal to offer. It is strategically located, well served by a strong community network and ready for growth. However, without the necessary infrastructure, that growth will remain stalled. I call on the Government and Uisce Éireann to recognise the urgency of this issue and to act decisively. Let us remove this barrier and invest in Kanturk's future. Let use ensure the town can realise its full potential.

I thank the Deputy very much for raising what is a very important issue for the area of Kanturk - an area that the Deputy is exceptionally passionate about. The operation of public wastewater treatment, together with the operational issues locally, are matters for Uisce Éireann, which has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services, planning, delivery and operational at national, regional and local levels. Neither the Minister, Deputy Browne, nor I have a function in the matters which the Deputy refers. However, that being said, I have made inquiries with Uisce Éireann on foot of the Deputy's Topical Issue being submitted. I have been informed that there are, obviously, capacity constraints on the wastewater treatment plant at Kanturk. This is currently under review. Any proposed development requires engagement with Uisce Éireann to assess feasibility on a case-by-case basis. In other words, connection applications need to be assessed on an individual basis considering their specific load requirements. Engagement with Uisce Éireann’s connections and developer services team ahead of planning a project is recommended and required. Uisce Éireann recognises the need to enhance wastewater treatment capacity in Kanturk and a planned upgrade is under way. This project is currently at the strategic assessment stage, where Uisce Éireann develops the project rationale and objectives, project outcomes, lists of potential options and an indicative range of costs. This work will continue in 2026 as the project progresses to a preliminary business case, which should be completed by quarter 1 of 2027. This involves undertaking a detailed analysis, developing a shortlist of solutions and finding a preferred option for the shortlisted projects. That should be achievable in a shorter period of time. I will take that back to Uisce Éireann because the Deputy is correct. We cannot have a situation where we cannot have development in an area. The Deputy said it is not acceptable or sustainable and I agree with him in relation to that. There may be elements of bridging infrastructure that may be possible. I also point to the new developer-led wastewater services infrastructure initiative, which took effect on 4 March 2026. This might be an option for housing development in the interim. This developer-led infrastructure enables developers to design and construct wastewater infrastructure, in conjunction with Uisce Éireann, to agreed standards with the infrastructure owned by Uisce Eireann upon completion. In areas such as Kanturk where capacity is currently constrained, an application under the developer-led infrastructure initiative may provide a pathway to support development in advance of planned network upgrades, subject to meeting the relevant technical, environmental and planning requirements. Uisce Éireann is available to engage with developers at an early stage to assess proposals and support the progression of suitable projects. Uisce Éireann has made investments in upgrading wastewater treatment infrastructure across County Cork since 2014 and remains committed to doing so under the future investment plans, which the Government has funded under the national development plan to the tune of €11.7 billion. This investment is going to support the delivery of key projects in cities and regions to deliver additional water services capacity for the new housing targets. That is what we expect Uisce Éireann to do with the capital allocations that we have made as a Government.

I thank the Minister of State for the Kanturk update. Deputy O'Shea has two minutes to respond.

I thank the Minister of State for his correspondence and response on the issue with the wastewater treatment plant in Kanturk. I particularly welcome the opportunity of maybe having some bridging infrastructure which would take place. There are serious discussions ongoing with Cork County Council, the EPA and Uisce Éireann on this matter. I certainly hope that in his position as Minister of State he will follow up with Uisce Éireann and try to urge the continued push on this because the situation on the ground in Kanturk makes this even more stark than ever before. There are houses that have already been built in good faith but cannot be occupied now because they cannot secure a wastewater connection. Families are in limbo. Homes have been completed yet are still sitting idle. At the same time, there other sites in and around Kanturk that have secured planning permission but cannot proceed to construction because a connection to the system cannot be guaranteed. This is a deeply frustrating and unacceptable position for homeowners, developers and the wider community to be in. It represents not only a waste of time and investment, but a missed opportunity to deliver much-needed housing. Local families are feeling the impact. Young people who want to build and buy homes in their own community are facing delays and uncertainties. Developers are hesitant to proceed with projects due to capacity concerns and businesses too are limited in their ability to expand and create. There are plenty of options available for Kanturk. It is good to see that Irish Water has it on its priority list. It is important that we work collectively with Uisce Éireann to make sure that the €12 billion that has been given to it by the Government is spent and spent wisely and rapidly to ensure towns like Kanturk can continue to develop into the future.

There is no question that our water and wastewater systems require substantial and sustained investment over a number of cycles to be able to bring it up to the quality required for a modern service. On the upgrading of plants, there have been many plants across the county that have been upgraded over the past number of years. I compliment Uisce Éireann for its work in that respect. However, there is a hell of a lot more work to be done. That is why the Government is investing record sums of money in Uisce Éireann. The Deputy mentioned points on bridging infrastructure, the piece that I mentioned around the developer-led infrastructure, and of course, there is the overall upgrade of the plant, which is necessary. In the interim, as the Deputy rightly pointed out, there may be options worth exploring. I will take it away from this Topical Issue debate to write formally to Uisce Éireann in that respect to see what may be done in the interim period. I recognise that a town of the nature of Kanturk and many equivalent towns right across the country have to be able to be developed if we are to achieve our housing targets. It is one of the reasons we have introduced that developer-led infrastructure initiative and are learning from the mistakes of the past where substandard infrastructure was put in place. There is now a very clear framework that is in place between Uisce Éireann and the EPA that projects would be delivered to a set standard and specification and on completion will be taken in charge and operated in perpetuity by Uisce Éireann. That may be an option. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.