Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

This amendment is tabled to avoid doubt and to prevent paragraph i (viii) being interpreted as enabling the Minister to direct a water services authority to provide water services to specific individuals. Section 30(4) sets out in detail the functions of the Minister under the Bill, which include under paragraph i (viii) power to direct a water services authority on the general performance of its functions. It is not intended that these powers should extend to issuing directions to individual water services authorities regarding provision of water services to specified individuals. Such an interpretation could place the Minister in an invidious situation regarding his or her general powers of supervision over water services authorities. This amendment is based on similar wording in section 66 of the Housing Act 1965 regarding the Minister's powers to direct housing authorities on schemes or priorities for letting housing accommodation.