David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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71. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 311 of 22 June 2021, when he expects a tender to be approved for the water-rock development project at Midleton, County Cork; when approval of the construction phase of the project is likely to proceed thereafter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54985/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The objective of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages. This will enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas of high demand. LIHAF was designed to specifically address the issue of housing supply, a crucial factor in terms of house prices. 30 projects were approved with an overall budget of €195.7m, €146.8m Exchequer funded and the remainder funded by local authorities. 

The Midleton Water-Rock LIHAF infrastructure includes services corridor link roads, trunk surface water drainage and other road/junction improvements and received original funding of €5.5m of which the Department will fund €4.13m.  Cork County Council issued an invitation for the works 3 August 2021 and the tender submission return date was 17 September 2021. The Council is currently in the process of concluding the tender evaluation process for construction of the Water-Rock works. It is expected that this process will be concluded by the end of November 2021 and will have identified the most economically advantageous tender. Cork County Council has advised that it intends to make a submission on this matter to my Department shortly thereafter. 

Commencement of infrastructure construction is dependent on receiving approval from my Department and full implementation of the Section 47 agreements by the Landowners. Section 47 Agreements between the Landowners and the Council were countersigned by the Chief Executive of Cork County Council 31 July 2021.  Subject to both conditions above it is intended that the construction phase will commence in Q1 2022.