Uisce Éireann ‘the elephant in the room’ on housing, say Tipperary councillors

Waste water capacity is the biggest barrier to building houses in Tipperary. 

That is according to councillors at a special sitting of Tipperary County Council on housing this week. 

Following a presentation from the Construction Industry Federation, Cllr Seamus Morris said he believes the biggest issue is infrastructure, specifically wastewater capacity.

“The big elephant in the room is Irish Water,” said Cllr Morris. 

He said he knows of several schemes locally that are delayed because Uisce Éireann has not installed new connections in Cloughjordan, Silvermines, Portroe, Ballina and Newport. 

Cllr Morris said even where a development has planning permission, it can be stalled if there is not enough capacity. 

“I don’t know how to get an answer from Irish Water. It is very hard to get an answer from them, said Cllr Morris. 

Most of the councillors who spoke agreed with Cllr Morris. 

Cllr Joe Hannigan said they needed to listen to developers and identify the main issues- of which he said Uisce Éireann is the main.

“Irish Water is the fence we need to jump," said Cllr Hannigan. 

Cllr Máirín McGrath said Uisce Éireann are the “biggest hold-up.”

However, Cllr Siobhan Ambrose said they must be “realistic” about Uisce Éireann, who is playing “catch-up” on upgrading the infrastructure. 

Cllr Willie Kennedy agreed, saying it could take time for that infrastructure to be put in place.

CATCH-UP

Executive, of CIF Southern Region George Gill said water infrastructure is a “significant barrier to providing homes nationwide.”

But, he said infrastructure is not limited to water but includes roads and ESB connections.

“Without infrastructure, we cannot build.

“We simply haven’t laid pipes in 15 years, and we are playing catch-up,” said Mr Gill.

However, Mr Gill said it would be helpful if the zoned land that is ready for development could be identified early in the planning permission stage.

Mr Gill said they may contact Uisce Éireann when they put in their application and find there is capacity. 

Then, two years later, when the permission is granted, there is no longer capacity. 

SOMETHING POSITIVE

Clancy Construction’s John O’Shaughnessy said Uisce Éireann had improved standards in the water infrastructure. 

“Irish water has been fantastic in some ways," said Mr O’Shaughnessy.

But they have limited resources and that is the problem. 

He said money announced to tackle issues in the sector  is great but won’t go far if Uisce Éireann is not properly resourced.