Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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518. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the timeframe for Irish Water to take stand-alone sewer facilities, serving unfinished housing estates in charge ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10067/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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As was recently acknowledged by my Department in Circular Letter PL 5/14 to planning authorities regarding the taking in charge of housing estates, there is an issue in relation to some stand-alone developer-provided water services infrastructure in certain estates, which in many cases may require upgrading and remediation and which must be addressed before the taking in charge process can be completed.

In anticipation of possible issues in this regard, my Department, in conjunction with the Water Services Transition Office, sought information in 2013 from each local authority on the number of such residential developments that are located within their respective functional areas and this has given a better understanding of the extent of these developments nationally.

Further to this information request, my Department has commissioned a representative sample of local authorities to undertake a more detailed technical examination of these developments in order to obtain a clearer view on:

- the types of such water services infrastructure that are in place;

- the condition of such infrastructure; and

- the scale of works and investment costs that might be required for remediation of any defects or problems, including prospects for successful enforcement action.

This pilot exercise has a number of objectives including identifying alternative optimal solutions, and developing indicative cost estimates, for any works that might be required. This will facilitate the development of a national strategy, including funding options, to address problems in residential estates with stand-alone developer-provided infrastructure.

Where a planning authority is satisfied that a development has been completed in accordance with the terms of its planning permission and is minded to take the development in charge and, having established that Irish Water is willing to receive water services related assets post taking in charge, then there should be no impediment to the taking in charge process.

It is anticipated that the pilot study referred to will be completed by mid-2015 and this will inform the development of a timetable for the taking in charge of developments with stand-alone developer provided water services infrastructure.