Danny Healy-Rae demands water supply for 170 homes in Khmer
Danny Healy‑Rae spoke in the Dáil on 14 January 2026 about stalled housing applications in Khmer and an unresolved water supply issue. He said two applications for 170 houses are held up because Irish Water will not provide a letter confirming water for the developers' FIE, and urged the minister to intervene.
Stalled housing applications
Two housing applications for 170 houses have been delayed for months after developers could not obtain a letter from Irish Water to confirm there would be water to supply the projects' FIE. He warned the developers may have to withdraw their applications once the FIE timelines expire.
Local water abundance and access problems
He argued Khmer is surrounded by lakes and has abundant water locally but lacks the means to pump and supply it to homes. He said a new treatment plant has been built at a cost of 30 million but there is still no water being put into the pipes in Khmer.
Shannon and wider supply comments
He criticised proposals to take water from the Shannon to supply Dublin, saying that route would not address local needs in Khmer and suggesting it would be many generations before such a scheme would benefit the area.
Council and Irish Water impasse
He reported that Kerry Conkill Council and Irish Water have not decided how to use a million euros from the department to replace a treatment plant serving two Housie states on the top of Ahedua overlooking the lakes of Killarney, Borch Hill and Killarney Village. He said the disagreement has left the project in limbo for six years.
Appeal to the minister and Taoiseach
He asked the minister to look again at the matter and said he had raised the issue previously with the Taoiseach, pressing for action to unblock the stalled housing and water infrastructure works.
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I want to thank Independent Idol for bringing forward this very important motion here today. Minister, I want to talk about Khmer first of all. There have been two housing applications held up now for the last number of months. They were asked for FIE to get a letter from Irish Water to say that Irish Water would have water to supply the 170 houses that they're building. Now they can't get a letter from Irish Water and the time is only out for their FIE and they'll have to pull their applications. For 170 houses, imagine no house built in Khmer for over 20 years since 2006. Look, Minister, Khmer has surrounded more mountains with lakes. They're actually drunk with water. Surrounded by water, we have more water than any other part of Ireland and just can't get it into a pump. They're talking about taking water from the Shannon and bringing it to Dublin. After where we're going in Khmer anyway, it will take 250 years before the people of Dublin and see one drop of water out of the Shannon or they'll drive down and take a bucket of water out of it themselves. Water from the Shannon. Kerry Conkill Council have been trying for many years unsuccessfully to get water for Khmer. We've spent 30 million on a treatment plant with a new water plant there. And yet we have no water to put into the pipes in Khmer. I'm asking you to look at this again. I've asked the Taoiseach here and said about this before. There's just one other thing. There's two Housie states up on the top of Ahedua looking down in the lakes of Killarney, Borch Hill and all Killarney Village. They're waiting for that treatment plant to be replaced. It's taken charge by the council. Yet Irish Water and Kerry County Council will not or have not decided what they're doing with the million euros they've got from the department. Either one won't perform or they won't perform together to provide a new treatment plant for these two states. This is going on for six years, Minister.
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