There is a reference on page 38 of the programme for Government to investment in social, regional and economic structure. This relates to something that has arisen with regard to expansion in a number of towns and villages in County Limerick. Many sewerage and wastewater treatment schemes are at capacity. If we are to foster development within the communities in question, we should consider expanding some of these wastewater treatment facilities. Any programme in that regard should be State-led. This would facilitate housing developments of ten, 12, 15 or even 20 houses that will produce a new population for these communities. I refer specifically to Oola in County Limerick. It is perhaps six miles from Tipperary town, on the fringes of the county. The people there have produced a programme of work and shown a timeline for the next years of how population growth can happen. The lack of wastewater treatment capacity will affect this and I ask the Minister to consider this.

Significant funding has been made available to Irish Water for investment in wastewater treatment plants because it is crucially important, as we deliver more housing, that the connected infrastructure is also in place. Separate work is happening in respect of smaller wastewater schemes. Work has been done on rural water groups by the Water Forum and a couple of other groups in order to see if we can have additional capital funding for smaller schemes such as those to which the Deputy refers.