Results 8,321-8,340 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

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

Eoghan Murphy: Let me be sure there is no confusion on the Deputy's part. The CER came back with average household usage figure of 127 cu. m per year. Based on consumption patterns and the figures given, four occupants equates to 133 cu. m per year per household. That is what will be provided for in our talking about exceeding the figure of four. Above that figure, one can apply for an individual...

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

Eoghan Murphy: That is why we keep stating "exceeds 4" in section 8.

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

Eoghan Murphy: Let me clarify. It will do two things. First, it will take the level of usage and divide it by the number of households, resulting in a certain figure. It will define the average household as four and the two will match.

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

Eoghan Murphy: No. I do not accept the amendment.

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

Eoghan Murphy: I believe the Deputy is talking about a later amendment.

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

Eoghan Murphy: The Deputy is referring to amendment No. 20.

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

Eoghan Murphy: The intention is that a review would take place six months before a water charges plan would expire. There would be time to do the review before a new plan was put into place six months later.

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

Eoghan Murphy: Six months prior to the ending of the current charges plan under Irish Water ceasing to be, the regulator would conduct a similar exercise to the one it will conduct one month from now on average usage, to determine the level and pattern of usage across the country.

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

Eoghan Murphy: The first review will be carried out within one month of the enactment of this Bill and that will allow us to determine the patterns ahead of the monitoring period for the following 12 months beginning in January. Subsequent reviews can take place from time to time as determined by the regulator and in any event not less than six months before a water charges plan would expire. The Deputy...

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

Eoghan Murphy: It expires in 2018.

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

Eoghan Murphy: No. It expires at the end of 2018 and we are talking about six months into 2018.

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

Eoghan Murphy: I cannot agree with that. We have to protect the independent function of the regulator in carrying out its duty but when the regulator, as a matter of course, holds regular public consultations in carrying out its role, it is open to any Member of the Houses, any Oireachtas committee or political party to engage in that consultation process. I cannot accept the amendment.

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

Eoghan Murphy: The report will be published. I will have no discretion in that regard but it is for the committee, if it wishes, to call on the regulator whenever it sees fit but is not for me to put into legislation that it would do so in respect of this consultation process.

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

Eoghan Murphy: I honestly do not understand this amendment and it does not speak about the luxury use of water but only about domestic swimming pools. The excessive usage charge is there to capture people using an amount of water above what would be the usage per household and we went through the numbers and what it would cover. If the Deputy thinks the excessive usage charge or allowance is so generous...

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

Eoghan Murphy: We have not yet had the chance to discuss the public ownership element around the debate but we will, very shortly, on Committee Stage of one of the Member's Bills. The "customer" is specifically defined in the water services legislation and in the 2013 Act it defines a customer as an occupant of a premises in respect of which water services are provided. "Household" is not defined in water...

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

Eoghan Murphy: The intention in this section is not to penalise someone if they are using what might be deemed excessive under the legislation because they have a particular health need which requires them to use additional water. We will come to this again when deciding the regulations as to who will be in and who will be out. We will probably need to have some sort of catch-all provision to ensure we do...

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

Eoghan Murphy: In the case of behavioural conditions, and I know of one particular example to which the Deputy referred, a health professional should be able to capture that in some way in getting that exemption from Irish Water. We can work that out in the regulations. I intend to capture the other conditions referred to by the Deputy under the regulations.

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

Eoghan Murphy: No. In the UK and other jurisdictions, they will list some and might have a catch-all provision as well. If we all agree on the intention that somebody who must use an additional amount of water because of a health need will be exempted, then it can be done with regulations. This section gives us scope to do that in the regulations.

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

Eoghan Murphy: At a draft stage?

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

Eoghan Murphy: I move amendment No. 49:In page 17, line 5, to delete "charges" and substitute "services strategic". This is a technical amendment to correct a typographical error.