Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
180. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to establish a new procedure for large developments where developers can engage with Uisce Éireann and Local Authority Planners to ensure that services can be delivered in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37229/26]
View answerUisce Éireann’s Pre Connection Enquiry (PCE) process allows developers to engage when seeking a new or modified connection. The PCE process facilitates early engagement between Uisce Éireann and developers prior to a Planning Application being submitted by a developer; it provides an indication of capacity, the scope of work required to facilitate a connection and allows Uisce Éireann to work with developers in meeting their timelines and in seeking planning consent. Within this pre planning process, Uisce Éireann Connections and Developer Services (CDS) team attend developer meetings on site where required.
Uisce Éireann, in its role as a statutory consultee, currently provides pre planning support to the delivery of Large Residential Developments (LRD) through attendance at LRD Stage 1 pre planning and Stage 2 LRD Opinion meetings to inform on water and wastewater services.
To supplement this activity, Uisce Éireann is in the process of providing additional resources to its dedicated Development Planning Team to provide further supports to the LRD pre planning stages, meetings and engagement. Currently, planners from the Uisce Éireann Development Planning Team make themselves available for a large proportion of Pre Planning meetings for LRDs; with additional resources it will be in a position to continue to provide and reinforce this support for LRDs.
My Department continues to liaise with Uisce Éireann closely on new connections to support housing delivery.
Question No. 181 answered with Question No. 166.
