Building the foundations for Ireland’s future
Ireland is at a pivotal moment in its development. Our population is growing, our economy continues to attract investment, and government has set ambitious targets to deliver 300,000 new homes by 2030, writes Niall Gleeson, CEO, Uisce Éireann.
At the same time, climate change is placing increasing pressure on our natural resources and critical infrastructure.
Throughout my career in infrastructure, one lesson has remained constant: successful countries do not wait for capacity constraints to emerge before investing. They plan ahead. They build for future generations. They recognise that critical infrastructure is not a cost to be managed, but an asset that enables growth, community development, and national progress.
Water and wastewater services are a perfect example. They are often invisible when they work well, yet they touch every part of daily life. They support the homes we live in, the schools our children attend, the hospitals we depend on, and the businesses that create jobs in our communities. Housing, economic growth, and quality of life all depend on reliable water services.
Progress
When water flows, so does progress. One of the challenges with water infrastructure is that much of the work happens out of sight. I often say that our best work is underground; unseen, but essential. Every home built, every community that grows, and every business that invests depends on that infrastructure being there.
For decades, Ireland underinvested in its water infrastructure. Ageing networks, treatment plants operating close to capacity, lack of investment in maintenance, and rising demand have created challenges that now require significant action. We are still catching up on historic underinvestment while preparing for future growth.
A clear plan
Uisce Éireann has a clear plan for the State’s water infrastructure. Through Uisce Éireann’s investment programme and the Government’s National Development Plan, we are making unprecedented investments to modernise and transform water services nationwide. Sustained investment of approximately €2 billion annually over the next 25 years will be required to address historic deficits, strengthen resilience, and provide the capacity needed for housing and economic growth.
Across the State, Uisce Éireann is delivering a multi-billion-euro programme of works: upgrading treatment plants, replacing ageing infrastructure, reducing leakage, improving water quality, and advancing nationally significant projects such as the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region, a new pipe to take water from the Shannon across the State to service towns on the route and provide increased capacity for Dublin, Meath, Kildare, and Wicklow.
The Water Supply Project is now in planning and will provide a new source with the capacity to support the water supply needs of up to 50 per cent of the population. The Greater Dublin Drainage Project is a new wastewater project and a solution to support north Dublin and parts of Meath and Kildare and enable capacity for the equivalent of 185,000 new homes. These are strategically critical investments in Ireland’s future capacity, resilience, and competitiveness.
For generations, Ireland has been fortunate to view water as abundant. However, the cost of treating water and wastewater is increasing and, in many parts of the world, water has become a hugely valuable commodity. Climate change is a reminder to us that we can no longer take that for granted. Water is becoming increasingly precious, and our responsibility is to manage it wisely while investing in the infrastructure needed to secure supplies for future generations.
The Water Conservation Orders issued this summer reflect prolonged dry weather, increased demand, and pressure on existing supplies. They should not be viewed solely as a response to short-term weather conditions. They highlight the growing connection between infrastructure resilience and climate adaptation.
Water Conservation Orders are an important operational tool to help protect supplies during periods of exceptional pressure. But no country can conserve its way out of long-term infrastructure deficits. Conservation must sit alongside investment in new water sources, enhanced treatment capacity, network upgrades, and leakage reduction.
Housing
The link between infrastructure investment and national ambition is most evident in housing. For me, the housing challenge is not simply a policy discussion. Like many parents, I have children approaching the stage where they will want to build homes and futures of their own. Like families across Ireland, I want them to have the opportunity to build those futures here, close to communities, friends, and family. It brings into sharp focus the importance of the decisions we make today.
Every parent wants to see their children stay in Ireland, live close to family and friends, and build a life in the communities they call home. Nobody wants young people to feel they must leave Ireland because they cannot find somewhere to live or put down roots.
That is why I often put it very directly: our children will not get homes unless we deliver these projects. Housing is not simply about planning policy or construction. It requires the water and wastewater infrastructure that makes those homes possible in the first place.
Increasingly, this reality is recognised by government, industry, and local authorities. Uisce Éireann is working with initiatives such as the Housing Activation Office and the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce to identify barriers, accelerate delivery, and unlock capacity for housing growth. These structures are helping align planning, investment, and delivery in a more coordinated way than ever before.
Focused investment
Additional National Development Plan funding is allowing us to focus investment where it can have the greatest impact. Priority growth locations have been identified across the country, alongside dedicated support for rural communities, ensuring growth opportunities are shared across towns, villages, and cities nationwide.
The national conversation on infrastructure has increasingly focused on delivery, and rightly so. We have moved beyond debating what needs to be done. The challenge now is execution: turning investment into assets, planning approvals into construction activity, and ambition into outcomes communities can see and benefit from.
The decisions we make today will shape Ireland for generations. By maintaining investment, supporting water conservation, and accelerating delivery, we can address historic deficits while building a more resilient future.
Water may often be unseen, but its value to Ireland’s future has never been clearer. Investing in water is investing in homes, economic growth, climate resilience, and future generations.
W: www.water.ie
