Minister Browne welcomes preparations for Greater Dublin Drainage (GDD) project
- Foilsithe: 17 Meitheamh 2026
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 17 Meitheamh 2026
Uisce Éireann has begun preparing construction areas for project
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD, today welcomed Uisce Éireann’s announcement of preparations for its construction of the Greater Dublin Drainage project (GDD).
The new treatment plant for the Greater Dublin Area will provide additional treatment and network capacity to support long-term sustainable growth across the Greater Dublin Region. It will provide infrastructure for new housing, and ensue that Ireland continues to meet its objectives under European law.
Minister Browne said:
“I warmly welcome Uisce Éireann’s proactive approach to the Greater Dublin Drainage project, including its work to minimise disruption to local communities by establishing road access and fencing off key sites in advance of winter. These will be visible signs of progress on this vital national project.
“The GDD, along with Uisce Éireann’s other major infrastructure project, the Water Supply Project for the Eastern and Midlands regions, reflect significant Government investment in water infrastructure. Together, these projects secure future economic growth, development and especially housing delivery, not just in Dublin, but across the east and midlands.”
Minister Browne also noted:
“The GDD will be one of the largest wastewater infrastructure projects in Ireland’s history. It includes a regional wastewater treatment facility at Clonshaugh; an orbital sewer network; a pumping station; and a marine outfall to the Irish Sea. Uisce Éireann are working with local communities and stakeholders to minimise the disruption once construction starts. Today’s announcement is a major step in this regard.”
ENDS
Note for Editors
The Greater Dublin Drainage Project (GDD) is the strategic response to increasing wastewater treatment capacity and network resilience in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). It involves the construction of a new 500,000 Population Equivalent (PE) Wastewater Treatment Plant (WwTP) in Clonshaugh, a 14km orbital sewer between Blanchardstown and the WwTP, and an 11km outfall pipeline to the discharge point 6 km off the coast of north county Dublin.
The GDD project is situated in the southern fringes of Fingal, immediately outside the M50 motorway in Co. Dublin. The project will serve the north-west quadrant of the existing Ringsend catchment. The diversion of the load to the GDD WwTP will reduce the load to the Ringsend WwTP and release critical network to cater for planned growth elsewhere in the Ringsend catchment. This diversion of load will also enable future growth in the GDD catchment (Leixlip, Blanchardstown, Clonee, Dunboyne, Ashbourne & Ratoath). These catchments are strategic growth areas, both in terms of housing and industry.
The GDD is an “inflight” project, and did not go through Approval Gate 1 (AG1) – Preliminary Business Case stage of the Infrastructure Guidelines. Uisce Éireann’s Board have approved the Detailed Business Case (AG2), and the Final Business Case for the project will come before Government, in due course (mid–2028), to proceed at Approval Gate 3 under the Infrastructure Guidelines.