Drogheda water investment has been given a boost after the town was included among 72 locations across Ireland prioritised for new water and wastewater infrastructure.
Uisce Éireann confirmed that Drogheda and Dundalk are among five Regional Growth Centres identified for priority investment under an additional €2 billion Government funding programme.
The investment aims to enhance water and wastewater capacity in areas where significant housing and population growth are anticipated.
For Drogheda, the planned water investment could provide additional infrastructure capacity to support future housing and development.
€1.7 billion for priority locations
Of the additional €2 billion, €1.7 billion will be directed towards the 72 priority cities, towns and villages identified by Uisce Éireann.
Drogheda and Dundalk are included alongside Athlone, Letterkenny and Sligo as the five Regional Growth Centres designated within Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies.
The list also includes Ireland’s five cities, 32 Key Towns and other locations where significant housing growth is projected.
Uisce Éireann said the locations were selected following a review of national, regional and local development plans, focusing on areas where significant growth is planned and where investment could help provide the infrastructure needed for new housing and development.
The organisation said publishing the priority locations will also give local authorities, planning bodies and the housing sector greater clarity about where strategic water and wastewater investment is planned.
€300 million for rural communities
Alongside the investment in the 72 priority locations, a further €300 million has been allocated for water and wastewater infrastructure to support housing and development in rural communities.
According to Uisce Éireann, the funding is intended to provide additional capacity for new homes and local development in towns and villages around the country.
The overall €2 billion allocation is in addition to €10.2 billion already secured by Uisce Éireann under the National Development Plan for investment in water and wastewater services.
The additional €2 billion is specifically focused on providing capacity to support housing growth and development.
Sean Laffey, Asset Management and Sustainability Director with Uisce Éireann
Supporting new homes
Sean Laffey, Asset Management and Sustainability Director with Uisce Éireann, said water infrastructure is central to the development of communities.
“Water and wastewater services are essential to every community. They support homes, schools, businesses and the services people rely on every day,” he said.
“We would like to thank the Government for this additional €2 billion investment which will help create the water and wastewater capacity needed to support new homes and enable communities across Ireland to grow and thrive.”
He said identifying the priority locations would help improve coordination between the different organisations involved in housing delivery.
“By identifying these priority locations we are providing greater clarity for local authorities, government departments, developers and other stakeholders, helping improve coordination across the housing sector and supporting the delivery of new homes and stronger communities.”
Details of the individual projects to be carried out in Drogheda and Dundalk, including how much of the funding will be allocated locally and when specific works will take place, were not included in the announcement.
