Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 5, line 13, after “Éireann;” to insert “to provide for the dissolution of the Water Advisory Body;”.

Amendments Nos. 1 and 11 are necessary to provide for the dissolution of the Water Advisory Body. Amendment No. 1 provides for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make an order appointing a dissolution day for that purpose. The amendment also provides that the advisory body will stand dissolved on that dissolution day. On Committee Stage, I signalled the intentions of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in respect of this matter.

The Bill provides that Uisce Éireann will be accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts. These heightened levels of accountability and transparency are commensurate with the level of Exchequer funding of Uisce Éireann. However, as a consequence, there will be an overlap between the functions of the Committee of Public Accounts and the Water Advisory Body with regard to Uisce Éireann. The Committee of Public Accounts is best placed to hold Uisce Éireann to account and consider the transparency and accountability of Uisce Éireann and its performance.

Having regard to the role of other statutory agencies with regard to Uisce Éireann, the removal of the Water Advisory Body will not give rise to any shortcoming in respect of transparency and accountability in the oversight of Uisce Éireann. The other statutory agencies - the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities and An Fóram Uisce - will continue to have specific statutory functions with regard to Uisce Éireann's performance. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities will continue to be statutorily responsible for ensuring Uisce Éireann performs its functions in an open and transparent manner. Both the commission and An Fóram Uisce have statutory functions relating to Uisce Éireann's customers and the quality of service provided to them. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage will also continue to have a role in respect of Uisce Éireann and reports or otherwise of the agencies tasked with its oversight and regulation.

When the Water Advisory Body was established under the Water Services Act 2017, Irish Water was then not accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts. Uisce Éireann will be subject to greater scrutiny following the enactment and commencement of this Bill. The Water Advisory Body will cease to have the advisory and reporting functions on 1 January 2023. This is because Uisce Éireann will be accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts on that date. The Water Advisory Body will be given until 28 February 2023 to complete its annual report and quarterly reports for 2022. The Water Advisory Body will then be dissolved.

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