Tipperary Councilor Roger Kennedy is seeking a resolution to a barrier to Government support measures for those seeking to build their own home.
The Government announced last year that it will waive development fees for those building their own home and provide a rebate for water connection fees paid to Uisce Eireann in a bid to boost housing supply.
Intending applicants for the reliefs must submit their application and commence the work before April 24th. The home must be completed no later than December 31 2025 under the terms of the scheme. However it is currently taking Uisce Eireann up to 16 weeks to deliver an appointment to assess the cost of a connection and in some cases takes a further 8 to 12 weeks to provide a quotation.
Cllr Kennedy is asking that Tipperary County Council seek clarification from the Housing Department as to what flexibility can be shown to applicants at risk of losing out because of the Uisce Eireann backlog. Sharon Kennedy, the Director of Services for Planning agreed at last week’s Council meeting to raise the issue with the Minister for Housing and Local Government Darragh O’Brien as a matter of urgency.
