Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 September 2018
13. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of progress with Irish Water in developing a policy for the taking in charge of developer-led waste water systems which is delaying the taking in charge of many housing estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39092/18]
View answer14. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of measure 2 of the new taking in charge initiative; the level of funding that will be available; when it will reopen for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39081/18]
View answer32. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the review of the Taking In Charge Initiative measure 2; when it will reopen for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39080/18]
View answerWhat progress has been made on developing a policy on the taking in charge of developer-led waste water systems which is delaying the taking in charge of many housing estates? Local authorities claim their hands are tied in terms of how they can engage on the matter but in some instances the local authority, such as that in Kildare, is spending a significant amount of money on water tankers and short-term solutions but states that it cannot spend money on remediating the overall issue.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 14 and 32 together.
My Department launched the national taking-in-charge initiative, NTICI, in April 2016 to trial new approaches and working methods in supporting and accelerating overall national and local action on the process for taking in charge housing estates, including estates with developer-provided water services infrastructure, DPI. Under the terms of the NTICI, which was underpinned by €10 million in funding, developments subject to valid taking-in-charge applications were eligible for inclusion in the associated call for funding proposals. Ultimately, €7.5 million of the allocated funding was paid to local authorities in respect of 330 developments, affecting more than 14,000 houses.
Findings and recommendations from the NTICI process will be included in a report on the initiative that will be sent to the Minister, Deputy Murphy, and which it is intended to publish shortly. The publication of the NTICI report will be of value to local authorities such as that in Kildare and other stakeholders in applying the lessons from the pilot programme in a more general roll-out of a streamlined approach to taking in charge, including through co-ordination with capital works by Irish Water.
In addition, the national development plan includes a provision of €31 million for developer-provided water services infrastructure in the period from 2018 to 2021, demonstrating the Government's commitment to transition from the pilot phase under NTICI to a programme phase. It is hoped that that will resolve many of the issues affecting housing estates in Kildare and elsewhere.
The policy of allowing developers to develop and retain control of sewerage systems, as happened in many estates, was questionable from the start. I can offer the example of Walshestown Park in Newbridge, County Kildare. A couple of times each year residents there are subject to an overflow of the wastewater treatment system. Kildare County Council has probably spent a fortune on the tanker clean-up in the short term but when we seek funding for a long-term solution, which has been costed at approximately €250,000, the council says it does not have the funding for it because the estate is not taken in charge. There is a gap between the local authority, Irish Water and these housing estates and the residents of the estates are falling into it. I do not doubt that it will cost a substantial amount because there are many such estates. How many estates are affected around the country? This issue is affecting people in many areas and it is not a good use of our money. The problem also occurred in Oak Park in Narraghmore and was eventually resolved, but it is hard to resolve these matters without an overarching approach. I look forward to seeing what is in the new initiative when it is introduced. It is important that we deal with this properly because it is having an impact on people. It also affects the resale value of houses and the ability to get these estates taken in charge.
I have raised the taking in charge of these estates a number of times. There are housing estates scattered around the country, including Cluain na Croise in Crossbarry, where this represents their best chance of having the scheme in the estate upgraded. We have repeatedly heard this year that the report will be available soon. It is good that there is a review under way and that the report will be produced but when will the scheme reopen for new applications? Has the Minister set a date for that? He said there is approximately €31 million in funding for the new scheme. Is he satisfied that amount is adequate given that there was €10 million for the pilot scheme, which ran over two years and only served a number of counties? The new scheme will be expected to cover the country so is there adequate funding? This scheme represents the best chance for people in housing estates throughout the country to have the terrible plant at the end of the estate upgraded for once and for all.
Perhaps the Minister of State will correspond with the Deputies.
I will give a brief answer.
The Minister of State has 30 seconds.
It is fair to say that this was a bad policy and it is not one we will continue. It was introduced under a previous Government. There are more than 900 estates and it affects more than 30,000 homes. We are putting a procedure in place to correct this and we have allocated €31 million for it. It might require more money but what is needed is a process to make it happen. The policy in the past allowed this to happen, with no plan or initiative in place ever to take them over. That is what we are trying to correct and we are making good progress on it.
