I refer to the regular water outages we are having in north Kildare. Following the bursting of a pipe, there has been chronic low water pressure in Leixlip, Celbridge, Maynooth and even in Naas. This is a daily struggle for people living all around Kildare North. The population has exploded but the water infrastructure is buckling. We see it every day. There were even outages on Christmas Day. These issues were not common in my childhood and even up to ten years ago. In the past five years especially, we have had difficulties. The pipe serving half of Celbridge, from Hazelhatch to Newcastle, was put down in 1945, making it 80 years old. It stretches for 6 km and bursts consistently. Indeed, Uisce Éireann has had to reduce the water pressure so much that residents in housing estates like Primrose Gate and Hazelhatch Park cannot even use their water in the way they need to. The pipes between Leixlip and Maynooth are also consistently bursting, leaving areas such as Confey, especially, open to risk. These are basic services. Will the Government push Uisce Éireann to invest quickly and more effectively in Kildare North?

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue as it relates to his constituency of Kildare North. I am very much aware that there are operational challenges in Celbridge, including at Hazelhatch, and that the water network is under pressure. The good news is Uisce Éireann has water main rehabilitation works approved for design and construction in 2025, involving 5.3 km of new water mains. Site investigation works are planned in the coming weeks and construction is due to commence in quarter 2 of this year. I am assured that these works will help with the water network challenges.