Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2023
275. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way planning permission is granted; if the case of a development (details supplied) will be investigated and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43710/23]
View answerSection 40 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) provides that the appropriate period for the completion of a planning permission shall generally be 5 years, unless otherwise specified by the planning authority pursuant to section 41 of the Act.
It is a matter for the individual developer to ensure that a development is completed within the duration of any planning permission granted.
Under section 30 of the Act, in my role as Minister with responsibility for Planning, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case in which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned.
Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual water services projects and operational issues is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own Board and internal governance structures. The Minister has no function in relation to Uisce Eireann operational matters or in the resolution of disputes between Uisce Éireann and developers or customers.
Formal complaints in relation to the provision of water services infrastructure or services can be made to Uisce Éireann. Details on how to do so are available at the following links:
www.water.ie/contact/business-customers/complaint/
www.water.ie/contact/general-enquiry/domestic-complaint/.
The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) also provides a free complaint resolution service for customers who have submitted a complaint to Uisce Éireann and are unhappy with the outcome. The details on this process can be found here: www.cru.ie/make-a-complaint/complain-to-the-cru/.
Should any further information be required, Uisce Éireann’s dedicated team is available to deal directly with queries and can be contacted via email at customerservice@water.ie, operations@water.ie, or newconnections@water.ie, or by telephone on this dedicated number - 0818 778 778.
