Ba mhaith liom an spotsolas a dhíriú ar chathair agus contae na Gaillimhe inniu. Mar is eol don Taoiseach, is cathair álainn í. Go teoiriciúil, is cathair dhátheangach í agus geata chuig an Ghaeltacht is mó sa tír. Tá an t-ádh dearg orainn go bhfuil lánfhostaíocht sa chathair ach tá fadhbanna tromchúiseacha ó thaobh cúrsaí tithíochta agus go háirid ó thaobh infreastruchtúr de. Tá easpa infreastruchtúr bunúsach atá fite fuaite leis an bhfadhb ó thaobh tithíochta de.

I am putting the spotlight on Galway city and county today. While I could say many good things about it, I want to highlight the problem with housing, but from a different perspective - the absolute absence of basic infrastructure. The wastewater treatment plant on Mutton Island right beside where I live was upgraded a few years ago and is able to cope with a population equivalent of 170,000. However, the collection network is seriously deficient.

It encompasses Oranmore, Barna and the city. We have two syphons under the River Corrib, which are inadequate and have been identified for a very long time. We have an inadequate situation in Oranmore and Merlin Park. An application for a storage area in Merlin Park was submitted by Uisce Éireann and subsequently withdrawn. I have one minute and a half to make a pitch for Galway city and want I want to do here is to highlight the actions of Uisce Éireann. I do not wish to demonise Uisce Éireann but I believe it should have stayed with the local authorities. The local authorities submitted a comprehensive plan in 2012 and 2013, which was not approved by the Department because of the future birth of Uisce Éireann. What are we doing now in Galway city? We have no wastewater treatment plant on the east of the city, which is stymieing development. The Ardaun plan of 10,000 people cannot go ahead. Within the city, taking in Oranmore and Barna, we have a combined sewage and storm water pipe which overflows all of the time. In one particular case, an Environmental Protection Agency site inspection at Oranmore found there had been 70 overflows of combined storm water and sewage into Galway Bay, which had not been reported to the EPA. A compliance investigation has been open since 2008, although it could be since 2010, regarding the deficiencies in the system and constant overflows which should be confined to unusual weather conditions. In 2023 alone, 70 overflows were not reported to Uisce Éireann. What is my point? There cannot be development in Galway city in any sustainable way unless we face the infrastructure problems. There can be no balanced regional development if we do not have a sewage treatment plant in Carraroe. I will come back to the issue of transport in a minute.

I thank Deputy Connolly for raising the question. I think she will understand and appreciate that I may have to come back to her on some of the specific issues she has highlighted in relation to her constituency, as is right and proper for her to do. On a broad level, when we look at the issue of housing and balanced regional development, I accept the importance of needing to look at it in the round. I can sense the Deputy's frustration and, I am sure, that of her constituents, regarding investment in wastewater treatment plants and also connection issues in a number of the areas she outlined. We believe very much in balanced regional development. It is not just a nice thing to do but is absolutely essential if we are to create the country and the quality of life that people want and if we are to meet the housing needs of people and their wish to be able to continue to live in, raise a family and work in their community. On foot of the specific issues the Deputy raised, I will be happy to take a look at them, not just in relation to her constituency but, perhaps more broadly, in relation to the need for us to take a joined-up approach to anything we do in ensuring that housing supply can flourish in all parts of this country, including, of course, Galway city and county. I am very happy to come back to her and to receive specific details of the issues she has raised. I undertake to directly engage with her.

Perhaps I can use a little bit of the time the Taoiseach did not use, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, because this is really important. It should not be up to me to raise this issue with the Taoiseach. We have Uisce Éireann, which is the body in charge, and the local authorities. Plans and conditions have been set as part of a licence which are not being complied with. These are not my words. This is what the EPA has outlined in its open compliance investigation. Either Uisce Éireann does not know what it is doing, which is not my way, it does not have enough staff or the Government is not behind it. We cannot have a situation where basic infrastructure - the collection of sewage and storm water - is inadequate. The network of collection has been inadequate for years, as identified by the local authorities, the EPA and Irish Water. Galway is one of the four cities outside of Dublin that is set to develop, with its population to increase to 120,000. It cannot do that, however, and nor can we have balanced regional development. I heard the Taoiseach set out his beliefs. I do not really want to hear about beliefs. What I want to see is action. I want to see what feedback is going from Irish Water to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, where the connection is between what is needed in Galway city and the regions and what is actually happening on the ground, and what we need to do.

Galway city is absolutely caught up with traffic.

Back in 2018 or 2017, 24,000 people signed a petition asking for a feasibility study on light rail. That is finally being done by a body that said it was not possible but is now looking at it. Similarly, on Friday, there will be a conference on the western rail corridor. This is all basic infrastructure in addition to what I just highlighted. Basic collection of wastewater is not adequate so no development can take place. As a result, the housing crisis is going to intensify and planning applications will be refused, as they have been for some years, because of inadequate infrastructure.

I do not have the figures in front of me - I will check - but I would imagine that housing commencements in Galway city are increasing-----

They cannot. They are being refused.

-----as they are across the country. I will check. I am not taking from the Deputy's point. Across the country, housing commencements are increasing.

I assure the Deputy that when State agencies like Uisce Éireann and others make investment decisions, they do so cognisant of the national planning framework and the national development plan. A new national planning framework will be published in draft form towards the end of June. There will be an opportunity at that stage for all agencies to contribute, and for the Deputy and her community to contribute in relation to the important needs of her community. I will specifically undertake to pursue some of the infrastructural issues the Deputy raised regarding Uisce Éireann with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, regarding this case. I am happy to come back to her if she wants to provide more details of where she believes there are particular blockages to development in Galway city or county.

I, too, am pleased with the work under way on the western rail corridor and light rail. Any fair objective analysis of the Government's time in office would see there has been a significant increase in public transport. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is to be commended on that.