The Minister for the Environment has announced details of the first part of the Serviced Land Initiative which will bring services to land for about 4,000 houses in Cork and about 9,500 in Dublin.
These are among 76 schemes named by Mr Dempsey earlier this morning.
Opening up land for residential development to boost housing output was part of the Government's strategy to tackle house prices, he said.
"Following the announcement of the Action on House Prices last week, £30 million of Exchequer funding is being provided over the next three years for water and sewerage services required to increase the supply of building land," he said.
The Government will provide 40 per cent of the cost, and local councils the balance. The schemes announced this morning will cost £38 million, cover 6,400 acres and will enable the building of about 45,100 additional housing units, according to the Minister.
The Co Dublin schemes are in North Docklands, Pelletstown, Glanamuck, Kilgobbin, the Ballycullen/Ballycragh/ Edmonstown, Aylesbury/ Killinarden/Jobstown/ Fortunestown and Balbriggan, and those in Co Cork are in Clonakilty, Macroom, north Cork, including Mallow and Fermoy, Youghal, south Cork, including Ballincollig, Glanmire and Passage West, and in Cork city.
Other schemes to be supported include one each in counties Cavan, Kerry, Clare (in Ennis), Monaghan (in Carrickmacross), Sligo, Kilkenny, Longford, Louth and Westmeath.
Several schemes were also approved in counties Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Meath, Kildare, Laois, Limerick, Tipperary Waterford and Wicklow.
Meanwhile, Mr Bernard Keely, the national chairman of the Federation of Group Water Schemes, has welcomed the Minister's formal launch of the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee. This will oversee the delivery of services though partnership between the federation, the Department and local authorities.