Results 13,781-13,800 of 15,379 for speaker:Eoin Ó Broin

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: In respect of amendment No. 13, the Bill as it stands proposes that the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, will carry out the review within 12 months of the budget. Part of it is because I do not think it will be able to get it done within a 12 month period but also because I think that water consumption will change given that people will then know that this review is happening and,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I am not sure that is what the Bill will do. It might be what the Minister intends it to do, but we can discuss some of the questions in that regard as we go through the sections. First, I remind the committee what the Oireachtas committee recommended in its report before teasing out some of what the Minister said. Section 4.4 states: "The Committee recommends that the CER should...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: Where is that stated in the proposed section 53A?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I have an objection, but I am not going to create a row. This is a fundamental section of the Bill. Regarding section 8, the change Deputy Barry Cowen indicated does not specify explicitly to the CER what the average household number should be. That is not what it states. It might be the Deputy's interpretation of what is stated, but I am confused because it is not explicit. I am...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I am asking my question sincerely. I accept the figure of 1.7 which is very clear in the legislation. The proposed section 53A(2)(b) inserted in section 8 relates to section 9 which proposes to insert section 53B(2). The latter states "the Minister shall calculate the threshold amount by multiplying [this is crucial] the average rate contained in the report furnished to him or her under...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: When the CER provided data for average household usage on the basis of its most up-to-date figures, it examined all households and total water consumption. It worked out an average figure, which gave a consumption level equivalent to a household of 2.6 or 2.7. I do not understand how it can do the same exercise, with broadly the same data but perhaps with a little change, and all of a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: The CER presented a report to the Oireachtas water committee. We had a big debate on what constituted average usage, per-person usage and household usage. It provided us with a table and came up with an average figure which was broadly equivalent to a household of 2.6 or 2.7. I am just trying to understand how an average total household consumption figure presented previously by the CER...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: Yet its report to us states the initial household average figure would be equivalent to a household of 2.6 on the basis of the data.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: Is the Minister saying the proposed section 53A, inserted by section 8, is instructing the CER to base the average on a figure of four? That is the crucial point, but that is not how I read-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I doubt it, but the Minister's understanding is clear.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I move amendment No. 15:In page 8, line 25, to delete “exceeds 4” and substitute “exceeds 1”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I move amendment No. 16:In page 8, line 35, to delete “and”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I move amendment No. 17:In page 8, line 39, to delete “Water Services Act 2013).” and substitute the following:“Water Services Act 2013), and(h) international comparisons on average individual and household water usage.”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I move amendment No. 19:In page 9, to delete lines 2 and 3 and substitute the following:“(a) in respect of the first review, not later than twelve months after the coming into operation of this section,”. The paragraph to which this relates confused me. The Water Charges (No. 2) Act 2013 concerns the water charges plan and the review period put in place once the commission...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I am on amendment No. 19. It concerns the first review and is on page 9 at lines two and three.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: My apologies, the Minister is absolutely correct. The two are connected, however. This concerns whether or not a review can be conducted within six months of the existing review. This is the point at which I may be incorrect. That seems to be a very short period of time, which is why I suggested a 12-month period. If I understand section 8(3)(a) incorrectly I am happy to withdraw it but I...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: If the water charges plan expires is the Minister saying there will be another water charges plan after that and what detail of that is relevant to this section of the Bill?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: On the basis of what the Minister has said I would be happy to withdraw amendment No. 19 but I want to speak to the subsequent ones.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: Some are technical so it might be better if we go one by one because if I misunderstood the Bill I am happy to withdraw that amendment.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services Bill 2017: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: On amendment No. 20 I am not quite clear what the six-month period covers, under section 8(3)(b) of the Bill. Can he clarify that first?