A Waterford Senator has called on the Housing Minister to intervene when it comes to the cost of connecting new housing estates to the water mains.

Speaking in the Seanad, Fine Gael’s Paudie Coffey raised the case of Tramore, where he said builders were being put off construction due to water costs.

Under current policy, the first developer who applies to build a housing scheme must pay the full cost of connection to Irish Water.

Senator Coffey told the Housing Minister that it’s a barrier to construction.

“It is causing a stalemate where all builders now are standing back and the houses are not being built. This is a real practical problem that has emerged in Tramore in County Waterford. It is something that has to be addressed.”

He asked the Minister to use his office to bring the stakeholders together.

“These would include the Department officials, the regulator’s officials, maybe representatives from the local authority and representatives from the construction sector.

“This is a problem that has emerged in Waterford and no doubt it will emerge somewhere else. The regulator which, I acknowledge, is an independent quasi-judicial officer, is inconsistent.

“As a public representative and somebody who worked in utilities for over 20 years with the ESB, water is being treated differently to other utilities.

“It is becoming a cost barrier to housing schemes being built, not only in Tramore but in other areas where one will see further blockages as well. It is something the Minister needs to take up and resolve so that we can get these builders onto the sites and get the houses delivered for the people who require them so badly.”

In response, Minister Eoghan Murphy said he would have a look at the issue.

“I will make an inquiry about the connections issue.

“The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, CRU, is independent of the Government, but if there is something we can do to make sure people are not being put at a disadvantage in connecting homes to the water network, we will do so.

“From my last engagement with Irish Water, I know that it is dealing with a possible 130,000 new household connections to the water network. That figure demonstrates the amount of work that is ongoing to drive supply.”