Rural Housing Development in Wexford Being Hampered by Wastewater Infrastructure

Inadequate wastewater infrastructure is restricting housing development in rural parts of County Wexford that's according to the Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council.

Councillor Lisa McDonald says difficulties providing sewerage and other essential services to sites are contributing to a concentration of new housing development in the county's towns.

Her comments follow the publication of the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office which show that 314 new homes were completed in County Wexford during the third quarter of 2026.

That represents an increase of 35 homes, or approximately 12.5%, compared with the same period last year when 279 properties were completed.

The latest figures show that 191 of the new dwellings were houses in multi-unit developments, 74 were single dwellings and 49 were apartments.

While welcoming the increase, Councillor McDonald acknowledged that more needs to be done to ensure housing development meets the needs of local communities.

Speaking to South East Radio, she said rural housing faces particular difficulties because of the lack of essential infrastructure.

She acknowledged that much of the housing being delivered is concentrated in towns, with rural communities experiencing additional challenges when it comes to servicing potential development sites.

Councillor McDonald called on Uisce Éireann to do more to address rural infrastructure and wastewater treatment requirements.

She said that while families may be willing to move into nearby towns to secure a home, the existing situation was far from ideal.

The Cathaoirleach also welcomed the overall level of housing delivery in County Wexford, describing the local authority as one of the country's stronger performers in providing homes for people in need.

She encouraged young families and others struggling to secure accommodation to contact Wexford County Council's housing team for information about available supports and housing schemes.

However, the increase in completions has also raised questions about whether development is being distributed evenly across the county and whether rural communities are receiving their fair share of new housing.

The latest CSO figures cover all new dwelling completions in County Wexford, including private developments, and are not confined to homes delivered by the local authority.