Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 March 2025
32. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify if a local authority can refuse to take in charge a housing estate where the wastewater treatment facility has not been taken in charge by Uisce Éireann-Irish Water, where the developer of the estate has gone into liquidation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12687/25]
View answer92. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the programme to be put in place by his Department to arrange for Irish Water-Uisce Éireann to take in charge over 500 individual waste water treatment plants across the country where the reason being given for not being taken in charge is that the current treatment plants are not up to standard, where the developers in each case have gone into liquidation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12688/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 92 together.
I understand that the Question is referring to housing estates which have not, as yet, been taken-in-charge by local authorities that are not connected to the public Uisce Éireann network but instead rely upon infrastructure provided by the developers of the estate for their water services. This infrastructure is called Developer Provided Infrastructure (DPI).
With effect from 1 January 2024, Uisce Éireann, as the national water authority, is responsible for the progressive remediation of DPI infrastructure nationally.
Given the scale and complexity involved with many of the instances of DPI across the country, it is acknowledged that it will take time to resolve all estates and that a range of resolution options are being considered.
