The Oireacthas Petitions Committee heard a call for Tipperary County Council and the elected councillors to fulfil their duty and take Rocksprings Estate in charge.
The developer of the 5 house estate near Kilross in County Tipperary pleaded for some resolution of his application for the council to take the estate in charge.
Mr Terence Coskeran submitted his application to Tipperary County Council in 2016, the council confirmed twice in correspondence that the application was being processed.
In 2018 the position changed and the council stalled the process as Irish Water and the Department of Housing and Local Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding as to how developer provided infrastructure should be considered.
This relates to the waste water treatment in the estate.
The developer had proposed that the five houses be connected to the adjacent Hillview estate’s waste treatment facility.
Planning officials insisted that Rocksprings have it’s own treatment facility.
The developer, Mr Coskeran, who also lives in the estate, has delivered the estate in accordance with all planning conditions.
The Committee heard that TCC applied for funding under a government scheme to resolve outstanding issues with Developer Provided Infrastructure and costed the solution at €53,000 in 2019 (connecting to the Hillview Estate) – this was refused by the Department.
As developer, Mr Coskeran remains liable for a bond on the estate costing €525 per year since planning was granted, pays LPT and continues to maintain the site.
No services are provided by the Council who also declined to fund an upgrade to LED lighting.
Mr Coskeran who began the project when he was 50 says he would not encourage anyone to become a developer in Ireland.
The Committee is to seek answers from Irish Water and Tipperary County Council and may ask both parties to appear before the committee.
