Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I am back again to raise the issue of Kilcummin and to ask the Minister to reconsider the request to waive the connection fee to connect residents to the new Kilcummin sewerage scheme, which is currently under construction. I ask this in light of the positive decision a couple of weeks ago by the Government to waive levies and fees in certain instances.

I want this scheme for the people of Kilcummin to be included and the levies and fees waived. It is the first scheme I know about that Irish Water is carrying out in Kerry. Heretofore, Kerry County Council always waived the connection fee. It put the pipe up to the boundary fence, wall, wire or whatever and people could connect to it. Even after that, there is considerable cost to bring the connection to the house.

The purpose of the scheme is to protect the lakes of Killarney. Many councillors, including me when I was a councillor, have been fighting this case for more than 20 years. The scheme is now being done in some way. The whole place is uprooted and residents have gone mad. There have been residents' meetings because the traffic up there is unbelievable. They cannot come down the main road they used to use. Instead, they are using back roads. There are lorries going off roads into dykes and cars are being broken. The whole place is a mess. Irish Water is saying the residents can pay €3,900 at a later stage but that is out the window if the depth is more than 2 m or 3 m. Many of the areas on the road in question are between 5 m and 7 m down. The cost will increase way more once the depth is more than 2.5 m or whatever. Irish Water can charge whatever it likes. That means many of these people will never be able to connect to the scheme. There are between 50 and 70 houses affected. This is vital.

I raised the issue with the Taoiseach and he told me he would speak to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. When I raised it with the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, who is present, he said he would speak to the Minister and the Taoiseach. The Government is forgoing the levies in other instances and that is great - I am delighted about it - but these people should be entitled to the same. At present, many of them do not have the €3,900 needed. When the ground is open, very little work is needed to bring the pipe up to the fence.

Another issue is that once you go down 5 m or 7 m, there is a fierce problem, which is that the ground keeps falling in because it is gravel. The Killarney and Kilcummin areas are all gravel and it is falling in. Many people are asking why the pipe is not being drilled underground as is done in other places. If that had been done in Kilcummin, there would be far less trouble for the residents. I am told Kilcummin is the biggest parish in Ireland. It is one of the biggest parishes anyway. There are a serious number of people travelling to schools or nursing homes. It is close to Killarney town. The way this is being done is ridiculous. There is a lot of hullabaloo and work is going on but no one is connecting to the sewer. We are trying protect the lakes of Killarney.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Deputy and I discussed the matter previously. I appreciate the challenges the new scheme is creating but it is a great opportunity. There was a meeting with Uisce Éireann and Killarney municipal district council on 24 April. There were discussions ongoing with Uisce Éireann on the matter. The Deputy has raised this Topical Issue matter in light of the Government decision last week.

The Water Services Acts 2007-2020 set out the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Uisce Éireann and for the scrutiny and oversight provisions that apply in respect of these arrangements. As the Deputy will understand, the Kilcummin sewerage scheme and the provision of Kerry wastewater services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance.

In terms of connection fees, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, is the body responsible for setting water connection charges, as set out in Part 5 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. The Act sets out CRU's responsibility for the determination of the charges, including connection charges, and charging arrangements that apply to customers of Uisce Éireann.

The Government decision last week set out temporary arrangements for the waiving of local authority development contributions and the rebating of Uisce Éireann water and wastewater connection charges for permitted residential development that commences on site within one year of 25 April 2023, which was the date of the decision, and completes not later than 31 December 2025. A refund is to be provided on Uisce Éireann new housing standard connections for 12 months from 25 April 2023. It will not apply to quotable connections, such as network extensions or upgrades to treatment plants or pumping stations. It is an initiative to assist in meeting our annual Housing for All completion targets and is intended to incentivise activation of an immediate pipeline of new commencements, thereby positively impacting housing delivery as quickly as possible.

The scope of the Kilcummin sewerage scheme included installation of a sewer network and the construction of a pumping station. Any standard water or wastewater connections to the Kilcummin sewerage scheme in respect of new residential development that meet the conditions of the new scheme will be entitled to a refund. It should be noted that the Uisce Éireann water and wastewater standard connection charges referenced in this new scheme will still have to be paid up front by developers in the normal manner, with the moneys being subsequently refunded by Uisce Éireann on notification and verification of the commencement of works. In effect, it is a rebate rather than a waiver arrangement.

As advised previously to the Deputy, Uisce Éireann has advised that works are progressing on the sewerage scheme to which he refers. The scheme will provide a new sewer collection system for Kilcummin village and will ensure wastewater from the village is treated appropriately. It will improve water quality in the River Deenagh and Lough Leane and more generally, provide scope to facilitate future development within the catchment, and ensure compliance with EU and Irish wastewater regulations.

The Government is committed to the significant and sustained investment needed to ensure the continued operation, upgrade and repair of the country’s water and wastewater infrastructure and to support economic growth in the years to come. In this regard, budget 2023 secured more than €1.78 billion to support water services. This includes €1.65 billion in respect of domestic water services provision by Uisce Éireann. This development will deliver significant improvements in public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in rivers, lakes and the marine area, making a significant contribution to addressing Ireland’s needs. I will come back in with a supplementary reply.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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The Minister of State and the Government are throwing it over to Irish Water but they will take credit for what is being done and for the money they have given. I am asking for the connection fee to be waived. I have been involved in schemes like this all my life. My family is still involved in doing the schemes. I know what the cost of the scheme would be. There is no way in the world Irish Water could charge €20,000 more per connection to install the pipe for 50 to 70 houses. The Minister of State should check it out. Why is Irish Water saving this miserly sum of money and putting people to the torment of what is going on but achieving nothing? The Minister of State is saying it will protect the lakes of Killarney and the River Deenagh. It will do so in the context of the village above but the 50 or 70 houses down the road are not being facilitated at all to connect up with the Killarney pipe. It does not make an ounce of sense, if it was priced at €10,000 but charged at €20,000 for the connection.

The Government is talking about building houses. There are vacant houses along that road that need to be connected but the owners cannot afford the cost at this time. I am appealing to those in government to put their heads together. The Government - Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party - is looking for credit but, God almighty, can it not see what could be done for this small sum of money? The trench is open and all that has to be done is for the pipe to be connected to it. There is no digging needed. Irish Water should run the pipe up to the boundary fence and leave it there. I am asking for no more. The people in question will have to pay enough money to bring it to their houses anyway. There are septic tanks in trouble up there but the Government is giving no help to protect the River Deenagh or the lakes of Killarney in this instance.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I reiterate that the progress of individual wastewater treatment infrastructure such as that relating to Kilcummin is a matter for Uisce Éireann. Charging arrangements for customers is also a matter for Uisce Éireann.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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But sure ye do not have the money.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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For clarity, the temporary development contribution levy waiver was announced by the Government last week. It will apply for one year to permitted residential developments that commence from 25 April 2023. As I understand it, there have been a number of public consultation meetings in the area. There was a meeting with MDC members on 24 April. Uisce Éireann has set out the scheme with the local community.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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A contract is in place. If the Government is asking the contractors to do more than is outlined in the contract, surely it must give them the few bob more to do it.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The Minister of State, please.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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We have been clear. I have spoken to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage about this matter. This scheme we are talking about is separate from the waiver scheme that was announced last week. The Kilcummin scheme is most welcome, as the Deputy said, for protecting the lakes of Killarney and providing adequate infrastructure for the community there. The meeting with the MDC members took place, and there have been public communication meetings with Uisce Éireann. We cannot do more than that at this stage.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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It is grand to have meetings, but something has to come from a meeting. The Government gave the waiver in the other instances. It could give it for this as well if it wanted to, but it does not want to.