Local TD accuses Uisce Éireann of stalling housing development across rural parts of Wicklow
The Wicklow PeopleUisce Éireann has been accused of stalling housing development across rural parts of 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 ongoing failures are a major barrier to home construction.
“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.”
He also criticised a lack of respect shown 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 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 urgent need for 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 in the Dáil chamber recently 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.
In October 2025, Uisce Éireann confirmed that the long-awaited Aughrim wastewater project in the town is moving toward a final design, with a planning application expected to be lodged within the next year.
The update — delivered during a meeting arranged by Deputy Byrne with the utility, attended by Arklow Municipal District councillor Pat Kennedy and representatives of the Aughrim Development Group and local businesses — marks the first formal progress on the project since it entered its preliminary business-case stage almost six years ago.
The project, viewed as vital to unlocking housing and business growth, has faced restrictions on development for several years due to capacity limits at the existing treatment plant.
Under new guidance from Uisce Éireann, development can proceed through temporary on-site treatment systems that can later connect into the mains.
The scheme was first announced under Uisce Éireann’s Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme, which aims to support housing and enterprise in rural towns and villages. Progress has been slow, with the utility indicating that construction was unlikely to begin before 2029, though representatives hope the move to design, and planning stages will accelerate that timeline.