A host of 21 new projects at wastewater treatment plants across Ireland have been green lit for development.

The 21 plants have been selected for upgrades under the Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme, following on from the announcement of 15 projects earlier in the summer.

The national utility will work with local authorities to deliver the works, which will provide additional capacity for the development of new homes, while ensuring that wastewater continues to be treated to an appropriate standard.

This investment forms part of Irish Water's commitment to supporting growth and development in local towns and villages throughout the country, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.

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Sean Laffey, Irish Water's Head of Asset Management, said: "The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O'Brien TD recently announced the Housing for All plan and this is one of Irish Water's key initiatives in supporting the delivery of this plan. Irish Water is able to confirm that the green light has been given for these projects which will improve treatment capacity in these small towns and villages. This will unlock growth and development in these areas by ensuring the treatment infrastructure is in place to meet the needs of the towns and villages.

"Irish Water put this unique programme in place and allocated funding having identified the need to support growth in smaller towns and villages. The projects were selected following detailed consultation with Local Authorities to identify and prioritise areas for investment. We would also like to thank local councillors across the country of their engagement with us on highlighting the areas most in need."

The selected projects will now continue through the next stages including design, detailed planning, procurement and approvals.

Irish Water anticipates that this programme will continue in the next capital investment programme delivering further upgrades to cater for growth.

A full list of the selected projects is available on the Irish Water website.