Irish Water has continued to extend its Small Towns and Villages Growth programme, naming another community in Cork set to benefit from the scheme.

Glanworth has been named as the sixth settlement in the County to take part in the programme, with Kilumney/Ovens, Ballineen/Enniskean, Belgooly, Ballinspittle and Castlemagner already confirmed.

The programme supports growth and development in towns and villages throughout the country, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies. 

Under the programme, 37 projects throughout the country have been allocated funding to date. Working in partnership with local authorities, this investment in the local wastewater infrastructure will provide additional capacity for the development of new homes, and support the government's Housing for All initiative, while ensuring that wastewater continues to be treated to an appropriate standard.

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Irish Water has announced these projects to enable local authorities to make plans on housing and development into the short and medium-term supporting their regional and local development plans. 

Maria O'Dwyer, Acting Head of Asset Management for Irish Water, said: "The purpose of the Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme is to provide funding for water and wastewater treatment plant growth capacity in smaller settlements. This programme supports the recently published Housing for All strategy and is focused on assisting growth in areas already served by Irish Water infrastructure.

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

The project will now continue through the next stages including design, detailed planning, procurement and approvals. Further updates on the budget and timelines for delivery will be provided in due course.