Water: Statements
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-21
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Mark Wall (LAB), Kildare South

I welcome the chance to speak to the Minister on this issue. I want to raise a number of local issues in my area of south Kildare. In recent years there has been very welcome development in the Allenwood and Kilmeague area, after long representations by many public representatives. We are having continuous problems during this work with outages and a lot of businesses and homes are suffering. Will the Minister look at this and give an update to the locals in the area?
Not for the first time, I want to raise the issue of the Curragh Camp. In recent days the water has been out there. The Minister is familiar, I am sure, with the fact there are a number of schools and the Army facilities on the Curragh Camp. A school has had to close because of the lack of water facilities. I ask the Minister to look at what is going on in the Curragh Camp at present and to assist through Irish Water in every way that we can.
I also want to raise Ballymany Manor in Newbridge, which is a new estate on the edge of the town. Unfortunately, this particular estate has been subject to water problems every evening since it was built. Young children who come home from school and people who come home from work are unable to take showers because the water has been reduced to a dribble. I have engaged with Irish Water on this on a number of occasions and it tells me that work is under way or is promised. Unfortunately, this work has not yet happened. I ask the Minister to look at the particular areas I have highlighted this evening.
I want to speak about developer infrastructure. In his speech the Minister said Uisce Éireann, as the national water authority, is now in a position to engage with developers on this initiative. I have been contacted by some developers who want to build houses that are badly needed in a housing emergency. Do they contact Uisce Éireann, the Department or the local authority? How quickly will this be up and running? Perhaps the Minister will give us some information on this.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-31T01:00:51+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-21