Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On this section, we need more meat on the bone because what is being proposed is vague. What we do know is that the commission will establish a forum and its membership will be between 12 and 60. That is a wide variation in numbers. The section states that the Minister will elect a chairperson and a chairperson designate in the absence of a chairperson and it lists the functions of the forum. It states: "The forum will have the following functions:...to represent the interests of customers of Irish Water;... to provide Irish Water with comments and suggestions [on its] ...performance;... to comment on any policy document produced by Irish Water." However, apart from that we have very little information on it. We do not know its composition, how the Minister will decide who will and will not sit on it. The section does not state that the forum should be reflective of the customers, rather it states it should "represent the interests of customers". One could read into that that somebody could sit on the forum and not be a customer of Irish Water but as long as they represent the interests of customers they would be quite capable. Obviously this forum will be hand-picked by the Minister; through regulations he will decide who sit on it. If it is not to become simply a talking shop and a rubber stamp forum, it must be reflective of society in general. Will people who are opposed to water charges and water metering get a position on the forum? Will they get an opportunity to comment on the policy documents and the performance of Irish water? Those are all questions that have yet to be answered. We should be given information on how many members the Minister is considering having on the forum. The range 12 to 60 is a wide variation. Will the membership comprise 13 or 59? The Minister must have some idea about that. Will the number vary over the three-year period? Will members come and go? Could the number be 50 one month and 13 the next month? There is very little detail on this and we need more information on it.

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