Councillors slam Irish Water for no housing progress

THE COUNCILLORS of Nenagh Municipal District slammed Uisce Éireann / Irish Water during their recent meeting, claiming that the state body's inaction was leading to no housing being built in a number of areas in North Tipperary.
Cllr Seamus Morris told the meeting that the Council needs to get tough with Irish Water on this issue.
He pointed out that Irish Water had promised to expand the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Nenagh but still hadn't gotten around to it.
Last week Cllr Morris sent the following formal complaint to Uisce Éireann:
“I Cllr Séamie Morris of Tipperary County Council wish to make a formal complaint to Uisce Éireann for breaking the commitment made to Tipperary County Council on January 27th 2022 to have a planning application for the upgrade of the WWTP in Nenagh in by Q1 2023 with contract awarded during 2023 and completion by 2026. The fact that this has not happened is seriously holding back the development of Nenagh; and may be a breach of contract. I would like an explanation as to why the commitment was broken. Yours sincerely Cllr. Séamie Morris MCC 20/03/25.”
The Councillors pointed out that there are a number of Treatment Plants in Tipperary which are near capacity or at capacity, which is stymieing housing development in their areas.
Cllr Joe Hannigan said Cloughjordan is one of these. The Cloughjordan problem is several years old.  “What sanction do we the Council have,” asked Cllr Morris, “When Irish Water don't do the works they promised to do?”
“Proposed houses in Nenagh can't go ahead because of this issue,” remarked Cllr Hannigan. “I know of one village where 34 proposed houses can't go ahead because of the Treatment Plant being at capacity. I think it means we will have to throw our County Development Plan out the window because we can't deliver on it. The biggest impediment to building more housing in Tipperary is this Water Plant issue.”
The discussion about the capacity Plants arose because of the Housing Crisis issue, which the Councillors said they are very worried about. Cllr Fiona Bonfield, Cathaoirleach, pointed out that the county has “very few one bed units for single people.”
Cllr Hannigan pointed out that there are “a lot of vacant properties out there. As you drive around any town or village it's obvious that there are quite a few vacant units. In one rural area near me there are nine vacant houses in the space of just one and a half miles. These nine houses haven't been occupied for years. It would strike me that the Vacant Property Tax, which was introduced in 2023, simply isn't working. It's sinful seeing such a huge number of houses vacant for so many years. What can we do? I think we need to use a tougher approach.”
Cllr Pamela Quirke O'Meara said she has been in contact with one person who is finding it very difficult to get a water connection, despite three months of trying. She added that the paperwork attached to these construction schemes is too onerous, and the connection fees are too high. “In this person's case it will cost €2,700.”
Cllr Michael O'Meara said the number of over the shop vacancies is high. He said he was glad to hear that 7 proposed houses in Rathcabbin will proceed to the Planning stage in April or May.
Cllr Phyll Bugler said in her area Uisce Éireann is also holding up housing development.