Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection

Social Welfare Bill 2014: Committee Stage

3:05 pm

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I shall deal with this issue because I know members are anxious to mention the other amendments. As a consequence of the changes in the package announced last week we have more affordable water charges and the conservation grant of €100 which will be administered by the Department. As a result Irish Water will no longer require PPS numbers and there will no longer be a need for Irish Water to be listed as a specified body in Schedule 5 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 for the purposes of using PPS numbers. While the Government intends making the amendment to Schedule 5 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as mentioned by Deputy Willie O'Dea, a number of related changes also need to be made at the same time. For example, the Data Protection Commissioner will oversee the deletion of all PPS data held by Irish Water in the case of those people who have already registered with the company and provided their details. Therefore, my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, will shortly bring forward legislation to provide for the various changes announced last week, including the deletion of all PPS data held by Irish Water. Accordingly, it is considered more appropriate to legislate for all the various measures relating to the discontinuance of the use of PPS numbers by Irish Water in a single piece of legislation. The amendments to delete the reference to Irish Water from Schedule 5 to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 will, therefore, be carried in the legislation to be brought forward by the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly. I understand it will be brought forward before the end of this term.

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