John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this Topical Issue matter on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Murphy. I thank Deputy Aindrias Moynihan for raising this issue and providing me with the opportunity to outline the position on wastewater treatment in Crossbarry, County Cork. Crossbarry is not serviced by a public wastewater collection and treatment system at present. However, I understand that there are three housing developments in the village, Cluain na Croise, Cúl na Gréine and Gleann Álainn, which are not taken in charge and are serviced by developer provided water services infrastructure. The taking-in-charge of housing developments is a matter for the relevant local authority under section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

The Department launched the national taking-in-charge initiative in April 2016, as the Deputy noted, to trial new approaches and working methods in supporting and accelerating national and local action on the process for the taking in charge of housing estates, including estates with developer provided water services infrastructure. Under the terms of the initiative, which was underpinned by €10 million in funding, developments subject to valid taking-in-charge applications were eligible for inclusion in the associated call for funding proposals. Ultimately, €7.5 million of the allocated funding was paid to local authorities in respect of 330 developments containing some 14,930 homes. Cork County Council was allocated funding under the initiative for several proposed schemes to resolve developer provided water services infrastructure issues. The Deputy said the figure was €180,000, but I am told that €90,000 was allocated to estates in Crossbarry in County Cork. I understand the funding was used by the council to investigate the optimum sustainable solution for resolving these three developments, while also taking account of the wastewater needs of the entire village.

Findings and recommendations from the national taking-in-charge initiative process will be included in a report on the initiative that the Government intends to publish shortly. The publication of this report will be of value to local authorities and other stakeholders in applying the lessons from the pilot programme in a more general roll-out of a streamlined approach to taking in charge, including through co-ordination, with capital works by Irish Water.

In addition, the national development plan includes a provision of €31 million for the taking in charge of developer provided water services infrastructure in the period until 2021, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to transition from the pilot phase under the initiative to a programme phase. The Department intends to write to local authorities to advise them of the future funding arrangements for housing estates with developer provided water services infrastructure that are not taken in charge following the publication of the report of the review of the initiative, which I am told will be published at the start of 2019.

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