Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

354. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to change the guideline-based system whereby housing estate facilities, including water supply and wastewater treatment works which have recently been taken in charge by the relevant local authority having been constructed by a private developer, do not transfer to Irish Water for operation and maintenance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9575/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The National Taking in Charge Initiative (NTICI) for residential estates announced in April 2016 was aimed at accelerating the taking-in-charge process of housing estates, including estates with developer provided water services infrastructure (DPI). Survey data gathered from each of the 31 local authorities was collated in December 2015 and the information provided by this survey indicated that, of the 5,566 developments yet to be taken in charge, there are approximately 914 estates with developer-provided water services infrastructure (DPI).

Subsequently, funding was allocated by my Department for a number of developments on the basis of proposals submitted by the local authorities. Under the terms of the NTICI, only those developments subject to valid taking-in-charge applications were eligible for inclusion in the call for funding proposals, outlined in Circular FPS3 of April 2016, which is available at the following link:

It was also stipulated that funding for estates with DPI would only apply to developments that could demonstrate sustainable solutions acceptable to Irish Water and EPA.

Seven local authorities, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Tipperary and Wexford, were selected as they contained a significant number of housing estates with DPI. In total, 68 developments with DPI were submitted by the seven local authorities for funding and 44 were initially approved.

After assessing the submissions in detail, a final allocation of €1.9 million was distributed across the 7 local authorities to progress works on 31 housing estates with DPI to taking in charge standard. Work is still progressing on a number of these pilot projects.  A further €1m is being provided in 2017 to progress further works on housing estates with DPI to taking in charge standard.

My Department will prepare a report by the Summer of 2017 on key lessons learned from the valuable knowledge and experience gained under the National Taking in Charge Initiative (NTICI) which will help to inform and progress future taking-in-charge plans including for those rural estates that are served by DPI.

Further information on the NTICI can be found on my Department’s website at the following link: