Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This debate has been interesting. Whatever the faults in the Bill's wording, for example, not giving sufficient authority to the forum to act of its own accord as opposed to having to be asked in writing by Irish Water to consider a matter, fundamental to democracy is Irish Water's accountability to a forum like this. I have no problem with it. One of the points I made as a Minister of State was about the need for such a forum. Specifically, the forum would need to be one where the regional policies of Irish Water, particularly its investment policies, would be discussed. A potential conflict will not be between the Oireachtas and Irish Water, but between Irish Water and local authorities, their communities and their development plans. If a county council proposes to develop an industrial site or zone an area for housing, there can arise an incompatibility between that proposal and the plans of Irish Water. This potential conflict needs to be addressed.

There was support from many people with whom I spoke at the time of using the regional bodies to discuss these matters. I have no objection whatsoever to any citizen going to a forum. How they are selected is important. It is crucial that it should be an open and transparent process and that the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, should be accountable in how it selects the forum’s membership.

There is a significant need for public feedback on Irish Water. Members are right that we got it on the streets last week and earlier in November when 100,000 people walked in protest. The huge failure of Irish Water is how it did not listen or understand or even explain what it was about. Anyone listening to this morning’s radio news is aware that the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, identified 42 separate locations where raw sewage enters our rivers and seas. That is absolutely unacceptable. Is it not right that those communities affected by this would have a voice to have this issue tackled? Is it not right that a forum can tell Irish Water that it should do A, B, C and D to rectify water supply and treatment issues?

The forum should also be able to ask Irish Water about costs. There are service level agreements between each local authority and Irish Water. The forum should ask what changes have been made, county by county, to the cost of running a water service. It should ask what plants and parts of the water network have been improved in each county. There are many good productive issues that can be properly dealt with in a national forum.

Section 7 does not bar any local representative from being a member of the forum. While I do not know the Minister’s intentions in that regard, there is no reason local representatives should not be included.

I do not know what changes can be made to the legislation before Report and Final Stages. There are reasonable and strong changes that could be made to make the forum stronger, give it a real voice and authority. It would be an additional voice to this House’s. We cannot ignore the committee system of the House. When I presented the original water services legislation, I made it clear that all reports from the CER and the EPA are accountable to the Oireachtas. All Members know they can demand these agencies attend committees again and again. When I was in opposition, Deputy Ross and I worked on an audit query we had with Irish Rail. We had committee meeting after committee meeting, month in, month out ad nauseamwith Irish Rail on that particular audit. It is the duty of the Oireachtas to ensure Irish Water is accountable to the committee system. The reports of the CER and the EPA can always be discussed in the House. It is a matter for the Whips and I cannot envisage any situation where those reports would not be discussed here. The claim that there is no democratic forum or accountability for Irish Water is untrue.

Every Wednesday, Irish Water holds meetings open to all Members where they can raise individual issues. I praise it for the significant change it has made in response to representations it has had on problems with the installation of meters and other issues. One now gets an immediate acknowledgment and response.

See this speech in context