Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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889.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the 16-week wait time for pre-planning applications of water connectivity with Uisce Éireann.[35806/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Water Services Acts 2007-2022 set out the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Uisce Éireann and further set out the scrutiny and oversight provisions that apply in respect of these arrangements. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the planning, delivery and operation of water and wastewater services at national, regional and local levels, and is independent in the exercise of its statutory functions and in relation to day-to-day operational matters.

The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which has statutory responsibility for protecting the interests of customers. CRU uses key performance metrics against which it monitors Uisce Éireann’s performance and progress over time. The position therefore in relation to applications for water connectivity is that such pre-connection enquiries (PCE) are operational matters for Uisce Éireann, subject to independent oversight by CRU as appropriate.

The CRU’s decision paper on the Connection Charging Policy (CCP) requires Uisce Éireann to report on the key performance metrics referred to above, including the average length of time to process PCEs. During the CCP consultation process Uisce Éireann estimated that it took on average 16 weeks to issue a standard confirmation of feasibility based on a series of assumptions, such as processing timelines, validity of applications, changes requested by customers and technical assessments. Most assessments are straightforward and can be completed quickly. In 2023, 78% of PCEs were positively responded to in an average of 16 weeks.

For queries on specific issues in relation to water services, Uisce Éireann has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.