John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A matter I raised previously - Mr. Gleeson might remember it – was about brownfield sites, bringing vacant premises back into use and so on. I kind of touched on it earlier with the connection piece. I refer to the connection charges. It was mentioned previously that Uisce Éireann is bound by the Commission for Energy Regulation in respect of the charges that were levied, but there was to be an engagement with it around that. I am not putting words in anyone's mouth, but essentially it was said that it is not a big money thing for Uisce Éireann or a dealbreaker. However, it can be a dealbreaker for getting an old building back into use, like the former pub, for example, that is now being levied for eight connection charges. It could be the difference between that project happening and not, but it is not a dealbreaker for Uisce Éireann as an organisation. Did that engagement happen? They are essentially being treated the exact same as a greenfield site on the outskirts of the city when, in fact, much of that infrastructure is already in the ground. It is just because it is now a change of use, essentially, that it is being levied for connections. If a former nursing home or pub is being converted to apartments, it is being levied for all of these things but the usage or the actual throughput through the drains or water may actually be less now.