Over half-a-million euro for water infrastructure in Laois
11 projects in Laois will split over half-a-million euro to “deliver essential water and waste water infrastructure” local Fine Gael TD Willie Aird has said.
The total funding of €502,761 comes under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2024–2026, with almost €74 million allocated to 291 projects across the county.
“Today’s announcement is great news for communities in Laois, “Deputy Aird said.
“It’s so important that we protect our water sources and ensure the highest standards in water treatment. We must ensure that communities across County Laois have the benefit of high quality infrastructure and water services.
“The Rural Water Programme delivers improvements to private domestic water and waste water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public water services.
“This funding and the completion of these projects will allow Group Water Schemes to continue to improve the quality, quantity and reliability of the water services across our County.”
‘Forgotten farmers’ in Laois to benefit from new scheme
The scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers has opened for submission of online applications.
Deputy Willie Aird said this scheme will recognise the hard work of farmers in Laois that missed out on payments previously, saying:
“The Long Established Young Farmers, often called the Forgotten Farmers, is a group who were under the age of 40 in 2015, had commenced in agriculture prior to 2008, but did not receive young farmer Installation Aid and were not eligible for young farmer supports under the CAP from 2015.
“It’s great to see this anomaly being addressed with the opening of application for this scheme. So many farmers across the country have waited for this issue to be addressed.
“€5m was allocated for this scheme in the Budget to ensure that these farmers get access to this vital scheme.”
Online applications can be submitted until 5.30pm on Wednesday, August 13. Applications can be made at Agfood.ie.
NDP announcements ‘unlikely to ramp up Affordable Housing in Laois’
Speaking on the revised National Development Plan published this week, Sinn Féin Senator for Laois Maria McCormack has accused the Government of being unwilling to deal with the big crises of our generation.”
Senator McCormack said: “Given the government’s abject failure when it comes to infrastructure and housing delivery to date, how confident can we be that they will deliver on any new promises under this revised NDP?
“When you drill down to the numbers being announced, you will see, yet again, a government that is simply unwilling to deal with the big crises of our generation.”
The Sinn Féin Senator said the Government are “not revising upwards social, affordable or cost rental delivery” in relation to housing allocations
“The government has only provided additional funding to deal with the rising costs of building houses as opposed to building more homes. We need a serious ramping up in the delivery of properly affordable homes in Laois.
“Laois is well established now as a commuter county which takes the spillover of the housing needs from Dublin.
“Yet, at a recent Oireachtas housing committee, the Land Development Agency accepted that they have not focussed on Laois for investment in affordable housing and that the cities have been the priority to date.”
Senator McCormack said that while there has been “a significant amount of building going on in Portlaoise”, the prices are “astronomical” and “will not really be affordable for a lot of people.”
The Portlaoise-based Senator said that there is also ” a real concern” that any future housing projects could be stalled by lack of the electricity and water capacity in the region, “the likes of the delays we have seen in the Sand Wood estate,” she said.
“We know too well, that there are plenty of individuals and families from Laois, who earn too much to qualify for social housing but find themselves unable to meet the criteria for a mortgage to match the crazy prices of houses for sale in this area.
“So many of our young people are living and working abroad because they are locked out of housing. There is little in these government announcements to give hope for much needed additional affordable and cost rental housing for Laois.”
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