Irish Water criticised for preventing growth of rural Laois towns and villages

All Laois towns and villages outside Portlaoise are to be considered for rezoning to build more houses, but only if there are services like sewerage and water mains.

Councillors have criticised Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) for not focusing on Laois areas outside Portlaoise. 

Laois County Council is going to audit the whole county outside Portlaoise to see where more housing can go.

However Director of Services for Planning Angela McEvoy says rural lands have to be already serviced to be considered.

"We've started to look at lands all over the county. We will be looking for additional lands including in Stradbally, Durrow, Abbeyleix, in every town and village. 

"We will consider parcels of land but we have to operate within a population target and projections in our county development plan. In rural areas we have to look at serviced land. We are looking at urban areas moreso," she said.

Irish Water's lack of infrastructure in towns is being blamed for their arrested development by councillors.

Mountmellick is one such area, according to Fianna Fáil Cllr Paddy Bracken.

"It's all down to Irish Water. Outside of Portlaoise, they are not serving urban areas. Farmers are penalised for pollution but we're polluting have the county from the outskirts of towns. In Mountmellick there's 200 homes on septic tanks in the town. There is no progress on an extension. Irish Water's whole focus is on Portlaoise.  Nothing has happened in Mountmellick for 40 years. It's confined by the flood plan and lack of infrastructure," he claimed.

Cllr Barry Walsh said that the "sewerage is the best thing that came to Ballyroan".

"They are getting an upgrade now. The shop and the pubs are thriving. We're not doing too bad on the football, it all comes hand in hand. Irish Water need to up their game in small villages and towns," he said.

Cllr Willie Aird said small areas should get housing too.

"It's awful that unless you're a farmer's son, it's out of the question. Surely we can have small areas to hold houses. it's only  in two or three areas. 

"If Ballacolla can get 20 houses, it would open up a shop, keep the hall up and running, keep a school going. 

"I passed through Ballyroan and you couldn't pull up at the shop. It was completely mobbed, there were 15 or 20 cars and three tractors. It's obviously as a result (of the sewerage upgrade). We'll drive through this countryside and you'll meet nobody, only ruins. I think it's wrong. I've people who want to live in rural areas. They aren't even rural any more, you're in striking distance of towns in five minutes. Every other area should get a chance to stay alive. You're choking Portlaoise, but you're killing other areas," Cllr Aird claimed. 

Cllr Ollie Clooney questions the point of doing a population survey to see where more houses are needed. 

"How can you have a population in a rural area and no houses? Without houses people aren't going to come in. In Clough when the housing development came, the population increased. Have you any power to provide waste water sewerage? Is it only Irish Water, because whoever made that decision their pension should be cancelled. We built up a monster and they're not responding," he said.

The director said she agrees with the need to service more lands.

"Irish Water is only looking at one or two villages. With zoning we will look and see if places can be serviced," Ms McEvoy said.

They spoke at a special recent meeting to approve changes to the Draft Portlaoise Local Area Plan 2024 - 2030 following a period of accepting public submissions. The amended plan is now going out on a final period of public consultation, with its final adoption expected by December. 

A spokesperson for Irish Water / Uisce Éireann says a reply will be issued shortly in response to the criticism, listing the works planned around Laois.