Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The committee is now sitting in public session in its capacity as the Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions.We are considering Petition No. 40/14 submitted by Mr. Tony Rochford.

Officials from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government together with officials from the National Standards Authority of Ireland are appearing before the committee.

I remind all those present, including those in the Gallery that mobile phones and BlackBerry phones should be turned off completely or switched to flight or safe mode as they interfere with the sound system when they are on silent mode. We are very pleased to welcome from the National Standards Authority of Ireland, Mr. Maurice Buckley, chief executive officer and Ms Yvonne Wylde, manager standards technical and from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local, Ms Sarah Neary, senior adviser, Mr. Eamonn Smyth, engineering adviser and Mr. Martin Vaughan, assistant principal. I look forward to your presentations.

Members will be aware that this issue arose from Petition 40/2014, which concerns disease rates linked to central heating systems. The petitioner, Mr. Tony Rochford advises that since 2000, a large percentage of plumbers have started to use single check non-return valves to link the central heating system, CHS, to the householder's fresh water supply. According to the petitioner his research indicates that chemicals and bacteria are leaking into the householder's water supply. The petitioner was before the committee on 25 March 2015, at which meeting it was agreed to write to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, seeking the implementation of sections 9(5)(ii), 9(5)(iii) and 9(6)(4) of the draft code of practice as produced by the National Standards Authority of Ireland and the Department's plans to introduce regulations or legislation to address properties which are possibly already affected by the issue.

It was also agreed at that time to invite representatives of the National Standards Authority of Ireland and officials from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to appear before the joint committee in public session.

Our considerations centre on the establishment of regulations concerning the use of single check non-return valves; whether regulation of the plumbing sector in Ireland exists; whether all EU directives standards regulations have been transposed; and the standards and regulations that exist in Ireland and the EU in regard to ensuring there is no back-flow contamination. Any related health concerns as identified by the petitioner will be addressed at a future meeting when we will have officials from relevant Departments to address them.

Before commencing, I must inform you that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, you are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence you give to this committee. However, if you are directed by the Chairman to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and you continue to so do, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I now invite Mr. Buckley to make his presentation.