Results 6,961-6,980 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Yes. Its councillors would then be able to more adequately hold it to account. There is a contractual obligation regarding Mr. John Tierney's pension payments and requirements which Irish Water has reflected in its accounts. I do not want to discuss an individual's pension payments.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: There was some comment, but he is now a private person. He has a contract and entitlements which will be met.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Politically, people might want to discuss or have a problem with it for various reasons. I cannot comment on whether there is an issue in that regard, but effectively he has retired and there are obligations that need to be met following on from contracts that were entered into.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: There is no lack of clarity on the obligation and amounts involved. We are trying to clarify how we can make it possible from a legal point of view.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I will start with Deputy Eoin Ó Broin's last question and work backwards. I take his point about service level agreements being a way of achieving certainty on funding for Irish Water. I have engaged with the commissioner on this matter. The Water Services Bill will allow us to provide for the preparation of multi-annual strategic funding plans for Irish Water as part of a framework...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: To answer Deputy Cowen, I have been engaging with the National Federation of Group Water Schemes since I took office and I am aware of the challenges they face. I am aware of how the excellent work they have done over many years in communities up and down the country was, perhaps, lost in the whole debate we have had on Irish Water and water generally in recent years. When water charges for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: It is the 2014 to 2021 business plan period. There will be a €1 billion saving over that period.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Some of the savings have already been achieved. It is the global figure if we were to move to 2021 and the business plan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: That is not €1 billion, no. The total figure is €1 billion that would be realised if we were able to do this in so far as the current business plan is concerned.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: It is €70 million per annum by the end of the SLA.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: No, it is that by the time we get to 2021, we will be saving €70 million a year by having brought forward the SLA. With regard to the new group schemes, and to respond to Senator Murnane O'Connor, basic funding grants of up to 85% of the costs subject to a maximum grant of €7,650 per house are available for new group water schemes, which is a cost of €9,000 per scheme....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Now that we have certainty about Irish Water, we have a lot more space to look at group water schemes and to see how we can do a lot more and improve how they have been working over a number of years. The first fix scheme is for a fix on somebody's property, and the obligation is Irish Water will come out and do the fix for free. If there is a subsequent break in the pipe, responsibility...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: There will not be a charge.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: That is because it will not be Irish Water. Irish Water will do the first fix but after that it is-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Yes, whoever the person might contract to come and do the work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I want to come back to Deputy Casey's question on the pension issue. The issues being looked at are about how the recognised entitlements can be honoured. That is what we are examining at present. These are entitlements that exist and need to be honoured. They might require an amendment to the Ervia pension scheme, which would come to me as Minister to formally sign off. When I said to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: It is looking like it will, but we are waiting for final confirmation on this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: On one additional question on staffing costs for local authorities, that is primarily a matter for the local authorities themselves. We have arranged for some costs to be recouped through the capital programme. In addition, I have received correspondence from some local authorities about a new approach for the sector around shared delivery, delivery teams and different arrangements that we...