Investing in water infrastructure to support capacity for new homes and sustainable growth
We are delivering strategic water services across Ireland
Uisce Éireann, Ireland’s public water and wastewater utility, is committed to delivering the infrastructure required to support sustainable growth nationwide. This includes providing the capacity necessary to enable new housing delivery in line with the national target of 300,000 new homes by 2030, while continuing to invest in water and wastewater services to improve capacity, quality and reliability across Ireland.
Uisce Éireann’s investment plans — subject to Government and regulatory approval — are designed to support Local Authorities as they progress programmes for economic development, community growth and housing delivery, while ensuring Ireland continues to meet vital public health, environmental and statutory compliance commitments.
These plans are grounded in Uisce Éireann’s €10.2 billion national investment programme for 2025–2029, a multi year programme setting out how we invest in water and wastewater infrastructure to support communities across Ireland.
In addition, in July 2025 the Government confirmed a further €2 billion ring fenced under the National Development Plan (NDP) to specifically increase housing capacity up to 2030.
This additional NDP funding includes €1.7 billion for high growth areas and €300 million reserved for rural communities. Taken together, this €12.2 billion combined investment supports not only housing capacity, but also major Capital Investment Plan (CIP) works including environmental and regulatory compliance projects, network upgrades, resilience improvements, climate adaptation measures and performance improvements across water and wastewater services nationwide.
Prioritising capacity delivery
The purpose of the National Development Plan funding is to prioritise capacity delivery where it is most urgently needed. As part of this approach, Uisce Éireann has identified 71 strategic settlements across Ireland for focused investment, based on detailed reviews of the National Planning Framework, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, County Development Plans and Local Area Plans.
These settlements include cities, Regional Growth Centres, Key Towns and other large settlements with significant forecasted housing demand. Targeted investment in these locations sits alongside continued investment across the wider network nationwide.
Extensive Stakeholder Engagement has informed our plans
In preparing these plans, Uisce Éireann has engaged extensively with key stakeholders, including developers, housing bodies, the Land Development Agency (LDA), the CCMA Housing Group and the Irish Home Builders Association. Engagement with house builders has been central to using up to date housing pipeline information to inform network planning and to explore how developer led infrastructure can help accelerate delivery.
Ensuring Regulated, Targeted Investment for Ireland’s Housing Needs
All proposed capital investment must be assessed by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). Its draft decision is currently open for public consultation until early February. An interim approach for 2025–2026 is in place to maintain continuity, and Government funding can only proceed once the CRU issues its final determination.
Close coordination across Government, State bodies and utilities ensures investment is focused where housing need is greatest. All projects are subject to strict governance, planning and compliance processes, including statutory consents and timelines. Final plans will be published once approved later this year and Uisce Éireann will continue to engage with stakeholders and provide updates as plans progress.
Key Investment Highlights
Capital Investment and Capacity Delivery
The plan includes efficiency targets, enhanced reporting, and clear outputs, including: