Dáil debates

Tuesday, 5 November 2019

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Housing Estates

5:50 pm

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 29 and 31 together.

In July this year my Department launched the multi-annual developer-provided water services infrastructure resolution programme. Bids were sought from local authorities around the country for funding under the programme. The development of such a multi-annual funding programme was a key recommendation of the report on the national taking-in-charge initiative that was published by my Department in December 2018. That is less than a year ago. The programme will enable the progressive resolution, on a priority basis, of substandard developer-provided water services infrastructure, commonly called DPI, much of which was installed in housing estates during the building boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s. These privately owned and temporary facilities provide mostly wastewater treatment with a small number providing drinking water.

In a survey conducted by our Department in late 2015, it was estimated that just over 900 housing estates around the country depended on developer-provided infrastructure for their wastewater services. However, in a workshop recently organised by my Department to inform local authorities of the new resolution programme, it is now estimated that approximately 513 housing estates depend on such infrastructure. It is a lot less than what previously would have been talked about.

In April 2016, my Department launched the national taking-in-charge initiative. This was in recognition of the financial commitment that residents made in buying their homes and the importance of ensuring that roads, open spaces, car parks and service connections are completed and maintained to a satisfactory standard. The purpose of the initiative was to trial or demonstrate new approaches and working methods in supporting and accelerating overall national and local action on the process for taking in charge of housing estates, including those with developer-provided infrastructure. The collaborative experience gained by the key stakeholders in implementing the taking-in-charge initiative has now informed the new resolution progamme. The objective of the programme is to resolve this substandard component of our water services infrastructure in a sustainable manner, and ultimately to support residential estates being taken in charge. The national development plan published in February 2018 includes provision of €31 million for the period 2018 to 2021 to support the programme.

The closing date for bids under the programme was 18 September 2019. It was opened in July. A total of 19 local authorities with developer-provided infrastructure in estates in their areas made applications under the programme for support. Bids for ten estates were received from Kildare County Council. I think it was 11 in Cork County Council, but we can go into that shortly. My Department is currently completing a preliminary evaluation and clarification process on the bids received with the local authorities.

The intention is to set up an expert panel shortly to evaluate the bids independently and recommend suitable projects for funding. This evaluation will take place over the coming months. Membership of the panel will include departmental, stakeholder and independent representation in the Chair. The expert panel will make recommendations to me on the suitability of projects for funding under the programme based on the criteria set out in the framework document issued to local authorities when requesting proposals. The panel will report to my Department when its examination of the bids is concluded. We expect to be in a position to make announcements in early 2020 on approvals and allocations once that process is concluded and has been considered.

To clarify, we had the report in December 2018, we opened for proposals in July 2019, that closed in December, and we are now making those decisions to be announced in early 2020.

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