Funding announced for public water connection
Hundreds of Cork homes with non-public water services have been approved for Government funding to connect up to the public water network.
The homes, which are spread across 5 housing estates in county Cork, will be amongst over 850 households to benefit from the multi-annual funding programme.
Announced by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, the €14.7million allocation will help housing estates with developer provided water services infrastructure (DPI) to connect with the public Uisce Éireann network.
In Cork, homes in Mariner's View, an estate Castletownbere will receive €291,127, while Gleann Alainn, Cluain Na Croise, Cul Na Greine, and Lissagroom Meadows in Crossbarry will share a total of €3,314,250.
A survey is now underway to identify further homes in Cork and around the country which will benefit from future funding.
Introduced in 2019, the multi-annual funding programme is partly designed to help homeowners who rely on sub-standard developer provided wastewater or drinking water treatment plants for their water services.
The funding announced under the programme is in line with the funding ear marked in the National Development Plan to assist in resolving the DPI in these estates in a sustainable manner over time.
Minister O’Brien said: “Through this investment, the Government is ensuring that public elements of estates such as the provision of roads, open spaces, car parks, and service connections are completed to the satisfactory standard and maintained thereafter by the appropriate authority.
“My department is currently conducting a survey to identify additional estates where a sustainable solution can be developed to enable the taking in charge of estates with DPI.
“Today’s announcement represents another significant step in resolving these problems. My department is continuing to engage with local authorities to develop sustainable solution to estates with DPI to enable the taking in charge of these estates.”
Residential developments consisting of 2 or more dwellings that have been granted planning permission under the Planning and Development Act, 2000, are generally eligible for the funding.
The planning authority is obliged to initiate ‘taking-in-charge’ procedures where requested by either the developer of the estate or by the majority of owners of the dwellings in the estate.