Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I presume that property vesting day is the day on which the property is vested in Irish Water. Property vesting day could therefore be any day in the future, but as the Minister will have to approve the day by order, it will ultimately be at his or her discretion to decide when to take over a housing estate or water services infrastructure. My difficulty with this aspect of the Bill, in respect of which I have tabled an amendment, is that the transfer day will be 1 January if the legislation is passed before Christmas. Local authority members and officials have expressed particular concern about unfinished estates and sewerage infrastructure. If, for example, an unfinished estate has broken sewerage infrastructure it might cause contamination to the surrounding town and the council will have to find the money for repairs. What standard will these estates have to meet before the transfer takes place? This could cost councils billions of euro. I understand there are at least 2,500 unfinished estates.