Wexford County Council came in for criticism over housing estates that are being finished ahead of basic infrastructure. The Mayor told colleagues that houses are being built in places where water and transport links have not caught up with the construction. His remarks about searching for utopia were a swipe at plans that sound impressive on paper but ignore what residents actually need. Families end up moving into estates that lack buses and nearby schools, with weak links to the main networks, he argued. He wants developers to fund services before, or at least alongside, the houses rather than years behind them. The council's hands are partly tied, since national housing targets and planning rules push new approvals forward quickly. Local residents have complained for some time about finished estates waiting on roads, footpaths and utility connections. The Wexford debate reflects a wider Irish argument about building fast while communities are left scrambling.