Uisce Éireann Slammed In The Dáil For Blocking Housing In Rural Wicklow

Local TD Malcolm Byrne warns that water and wastewater capacity issues are blocking new homes and threatening the future of rural communities, including Aughrim.

Uisce Éireann has come under fire in the Dáil this week for stalling housing development across rural Wicklow, including in the village of Aughrim, due to long-standing water and wastewater capacity issues.

Fianna Fáil Wicklow–Wexford TD Malcolm Byrne said the utility’s failures are a major barrier to home construction.

Addressing the Minister, he warned “As far as I'm concerned the chief executive and senior personnel in Uisce Éireann should be waking up every morning and asking the question: what are we doing to try to help in the construction of homes in Ireland? From listening to developers, Uisce Éireann is one of the biggest barriers to home construction in Ireland at the moment.”

Deputy Byrne said even small-scale projects in villages could make a real difference.

“Even if it’s only two or three projects every year, we need a scheme for villages in Wexford and Wicklow. In those places where there isn’t capacity, building twenty or thirty homes a year would not only help tackle the housing crisis, it would also keep communities alive — their schools, shops, post offices, and other essential services.”

Fianna Fáil Wicklow Wexford T.D. Malcolm Byrne

He also criticised a lack of responsiveness to local communities:

“Officials from Uisce Éireann would agree to meet with me as an elected representative but were not happy to meet with the groups I brought with me. We need a situation where a state utility is accountable to elected members and the communities we represent.”

Aughrim, in particular, has been 'stalled for decades' due to water and wastewater infrastructure shortfalls, blocking expansion and preventing new homes from being built.

Deputy Byrne emphasised the urgency of reforms: “If we have to change the legislation to ensure that Uisce Éireann sees itself as part of the housing ecosystem and is more accountable, we should do it as soon as possible.”

The local representative’s intervention reflects a broader debate about rural housing, infrastructure funding, and accountability in Ireland, as TDs push for targeted investment to unlock housing development in villages long constrained by Uisce Éireann’s capacity limitations.