Written answers
Tuesday, 29 April 2025
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Water Services
Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
1208. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government with regard to Uisce Éireann refusing to take in charge housing developments with developer-provided water service infrastructure thereby causing many problems for homeowners; what plans he has in place to address this issue; if he is aware how many housing developments across the country are impacted by this; and, if so, if he will provide a breakdown on a local authority basis, in tabular form. [19275/25]
James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
There are a number of housing estates across the country that rely on developer provided infrastructure for their water services. These estates have not, as yet, been taken-in-charge and their water services are not connected to the public Uisce Éireann network. The water services infrastructure in these locations is commonly called DPI.
With effect from 1 January 2024, Uisce Éireann, as the national water authority, has responsibility for the remediation of DPI.
As regards the ongoing maintenance and operational roles required for this infrastructure, there are a variety of arrangements in place across the country. It is not the intention that Uisce Éireann immediately take over those roles that are currently being undertaken by the developers, owners and users of the DPI infrastructure. Any such current operating and maintenance arrangements for each site remain in place.
Given the scale and complexity of issues involved with many of the instances of DPI across the country, it is acknowledged that it will take time to resolve these in all locations and that a range of resolution options are being considered and used.
The table under provides the information of such locations as provided to my Department by the local authorities in April 2023.
Local Authority | Number of locations |
---|---|
Carlow | 5 |
Clare | 13 |
Cork | 40 |
Donegal | 137 |
Galway | 69 |
Kerry | 37 |
Kildare | 12 |
Kilkenny | 5 |
Laois | 1 |
Longford | 3 |
Louth | 3 |
Monaghan | 5 |
Roscommon | 3 |
Sligo | 4 |
Tipperary | 28 |
Waterford | 8 |
Westmeath | 3 |
Wexford | 77 |
Wicklow | 4 |
Total | 457 |
No comments