Budget 2026: Funding will help major Cork water projects to progress

Funding for Uisce Éireann announced as part of Budget 2026 will see work progress on the Whitegate Water Treatment Plant, and the Midleton Wastewater Transfer Project in Cork, the utility body has said.

Announcing the budget, public expenditure minister Jack Chambers said: “In the national development plan, I committed to providing €12.2bn in capital funding to expand our water and wastewater services.

“Following through on this commitment, in 2026, I am providing €1.4bn to Uisce Éireann to continue to build essential capacity to support new housing developments and to increase the resilience and sustainability of water supply. This will help to further progress development of waste treatment plants across the country.”

Uisce Éireann welcomed the record level of funding, saying that it reflects the “critical role that resilient water services play in enabling sustainable growth, supporting housing delivery, and protecting the environment across Ireland”.

Uisce Éireann CEO Niall Gleeson said: “This investment demonstrates Uisce Éireann’s commitment to every community in Ireland.

“By delivering vital water and wastewater projects nationwide, we are supporting economic growth, protecting the environment, and ensuring a better quality of life for all.

“This investment will support the delivery of key national projects such as the Greater Dublin drainage scheme and the Water Supply Project, Eastern and Midlands Region, which will be central to meeting long-term demand and ensuring environmental sustainability.

“These transformative investments will provide the capacity and resilience needed to support housing, economic development, and climate adaptation in the decades to come.”

He added that Uisce Éireann’s programme includes work to deliver the capacity anticipated to support additional housing units through a mix of existing and new capacity development.

Other priorities include over 40 new/upgraded water and wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations, circa 200km of new/rehabilitated water and sewer network, and the removal of sites from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Priority Action and Remedial Action Lists, improving water quality and environmental outcomes nationwide.

Mr Gleeson added that among the key regional investments in Cork are upgrades to the Whitegate Water Treatment Plant, and the Midleton Wastewater Transfer Project.