Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney has urged the Government to give all wastewater treatment projects fast‑track status under the proposed Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026.
Raising the issue in the Dáil, Deputy Cooney said many towns and villages still lack proper wastewater facilities, with some areas continuing to discharge raw sewage.
He said many factors feed into the delays that hold up delivery of essential treatment plants, including planning. He argued that every wastewater scheme should be treated as critical infrastructure, regardless of size or location.
Deputy Cooney asked Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers whether the Government would consider a programme‑wide designation for wastewater projects rather than limiting fast‑track status to major individual schemes.
Minister Chambers said the Bill would set out a legal framework for prioritising key infrastructure across energy, transport and water. He noted that wastewater and waste management systems are explicitly included in the legislation and confirmed that water and wastewater projects would be considered for prioritisation, particularly where they support housing and economic development.
However, he said the designation process had not yet begun and cautioned that the system must be used sparingly.
“If too many projects or programmes are afforded critical status, the impact of designation will consequently be limited,” he said.
Deputy Cooney said smaller rural schemes should not have to make individual cases for designation and described the state of wastewater treatment as “a national scandal” with serious environmental consequences.
Minister Chambers acknowledged that delays in delivering wastewater infrastructure have contributed to environmental damage in some rivers and water systems, especially in rural areas. He said the Government would continue to work with Uisce Éireann to speed up delivery through the Bill and wider reforms aimed at reducing infrastructure bottlenecks.