Results 7,221-7,240 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: 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.

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

Eoghan Murphy: I do not disagree with the sentiment behind the amendment. I sat on the Committee of Public Accounts and have worked with the Comptroller and Auditor General on a range of issues. Given the fact that Irish Water will be funded by my Department, there is a role potentially for the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of the utility's operations. However, the advice I have is that this...

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

Eoghan Murphy: The advice I have is that it is the 1993 Act that would require to be amended, not this Bill. I do not expect that advice to change.

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

Eoghan Murphy: I will correspond with the committee as the Deputy has suggested.

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

Eoghan Murphy: I cannot accept the amendments.

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

Eoghan Murphy: I cannot accept the amendment.

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

Eoghan Murphy: Irish Water is a subsidiary of Ervia and there are certain group functions in the board. This is a part of the confidence and supply agreement.

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

Eoghan Murphy: The intention of the section is that, if the advisory body requests information from Ervia, Ervia must supply it so that the advisory body can have whatever information it requires to perform its functions and role.

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

Eoghan Murphy: Irish Water is a subsidiary of Ervia.

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

Eoghan Murphy: No, it is not.

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

Eoghan Murphy: There are certain group functions and certain members of Irish Water's board are members of Ervia's board.

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

Eoghan Murphy: The intention of this provision is to ensure that the advisory body can obtain any information that it needs to do its work.

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

Eoghan Murphy: Essentially, this is about ensuring a more transparent line of sight over the funding into Irish Water from my Department. Sections 54 to 59 give effect to a change in funding sources to and from the local government fund and the central fund arising from the report of the working group on the future funding model for Irish Water. All of these changes are on an Exchequer neutral basis and...

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

Eoghan Murphy: Yes. It is all Exchequer neutral. The process up to now was quite confusing. Under the new provisions, there will a direct line of funding into Irish Water from my Department, which makes clear how the Exchequer is directly funding Irish Water.