Planning Permission bid: Úisce Éireann files for one of Ireland’s biggest projects
Problem: a multi‑billion infrastructure plan needs timely planning permission to proceed; Agitate: delays or refusal would affect water supply and housing; Solution: Úisce Éireann is lodging a major planning application now to advance the scheme.
Úisce Éireann has confirmed it will lodge a planning application for what it describes as one of the State’s largest ever infrastructure projects, seeking statutory planning permission to progress a major water and wastewater scheme intended to serve a wide region and support future housing and development needs.
The application package will include detailed environmental impact assessments and technical reports required under Irish planning law, reflecting the project’s scale and its potential environmental effects; the submission aims to meet An Bord Pleanála decision‑making standards for nationally significant infrastructure and to reduce the risk of later challenges on environmental impact grounds.
Officials say the proposal is designed to future‑proof water supply and waste services to accommodate forecast population growth and planned housing schemes, with planners and engineers setting out phased delivery timetables and mitigation measures to address flood‑risk development concerns and habitat protection during construction.
Because of the project’s scale, Úisce Éireann anticipates the planning authority or An Bord Pleanála will examine whether any elements amount to a material contravention of existing development plans, and the submission will include justification and alternatives to support any departures from local policies.
The project team has engaged in preliminary consultations with affected local authorities, stakeholders and environmental bodies and says community engagement will continue during the statutory consultation period; statutory notices and a full set of planning drawings, traffic studies and hydrological assessments will form part of the public file.
Legal advisers working with Úisce Éireann have prepared the application to withstand scrutiny, noting that under recent planning reforms any judicial review timeline can affect delivery schedules and that clear, robust environmental information helps manage the risk of legal challenges to major infrastructure approvals.
If granted, the planning permission would allow construction to begin on a phased basis, enabling works to align with housing delivery targets and other infrastructure projects; decision timelines will follow normal planning procedures and could involve referral to An Bord Pleanála for a final decision on nationally significant elements.
Originally reported in on Wed, 17 Dec 2025 10:19:23 +0000. Full story
