Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
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497. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if Irish Water will develop an effective communications strategy on swift customer notification of supply interruptions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31344/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Irish Water has confirmed to my Department that it has a robust communications strategy in place to deal with supply interruptions, both planned and unplanned.

I am informed that, since April 2014, Irish Water, under the Service Level Agreements negotiated with local authorities, is the main point of contact for queries on supply outages and it organises for the relevant local authority to respond. For major incidents, operational communications on the incident continue to be provided by the relevant local authority through existing communications channels. Centrally, Irish Water had a Crisis Management Team working with each affected local authority which ensures regular updates to local radio stations, customers and local representatives on the evolving position in the area, in line with the existing communications protocols in that local authority.

Irish Water has confirmed to my Department that it has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to or by telephone on 1890 278 278.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
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498. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will direct or request Irish Water to develop a strategy for the speedy and effective handling of questions from elected representatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31345/14]

Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
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499. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will direct or request Irish Water to answer a question which it has failed, refused or neglected to do for half a year on whether it plans to maintain the current level of Lough Derg as part of its water abstraction plan for Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31346/14]

Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
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500. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will direct or request Irish Water to answer a question which it has failed, refused or neglected to do for half a year on whether it will participate in the per cent for art scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31347/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 498 to 500, inclusive, together.

Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water is responsible for the delivery of water services including the provision of water services infrastructure.

My Department asked Irish Water to put in place specific arrangements to address the queries which public representatives may have in relation to matters pertaining to the operation of water services under the new utility. I understand that Irish Water has made contact with Oireachtas members to outline the arrangements for addressing such queries in a timely manner.

Irish Water has confirmed to my Department that it has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. They may be contacted via email to or by telephone on 1890 278 278.

I understand that in the four months from the inception of the service, the support desk in Irish Water has received and responded to some 2,100 telephone calls, emails and letters from public representatives. The Oireachtas Members email service alone has received and responded to over 400 emails.