Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

The purpose in providing that the making of water services strategic plans is an executive function and not a reserve function, as suggested in the amendment, is to draw a clear distinction between the various strands of the strategic planning process for water services. It will ensure that input into each is provided at the appropriate stage and as part of the overall planning and development process. Members are not excluded from the process but their input to the process must be pitched at the appropriate level.

These are management and operational rather than policy plans. If they were policy plans I would have no difficulty with the amendment. The primary role of councillors is to outline the demand for water services in their areas and the level of response or proposed response to that demand by the water services authority. The water services strategic planning process will be based on a partnership between my Department and each water services authority to ensure that national and local water service agendas are fully synchronised.

This relationship complements the Minister's overall supervisory role in national water services provision. It will also help to ensure that plans for adjoining functional areas are properly integrated with each other to maximise potential synergies and efficiencies and guard against any cumulative impacts which might have an adverse effect on sustainable development or environmental protection in the broader surrounding region. Ultimately, therefore, the Minister will have the final say as to what goes into a water services strategic plan.

It would not be appropriate to involve members directly in such a process when they are already indirectly involved. Members' input into the process will be pitched at the appropriate level. Involvement by members of the council in planning for water services will more appropriately take place on a broader, strategic level in the context of their input into planning and development issues affecting their areas generally.

The Bill requires that water services authorities must have regard to proper planning and sustainable development of their areas when making a water services plan. In particular, they must have regard to relevant county development plans and the members have a major input into those. They must also take into account regional or spatial planning guidelines, housing strategies, special amenity orders, river basin management plans among others and consultations will take place with the strategic policy committees.

In the course of making a plan to facilitate its co-ordination with strategic policy issues affecting the functional area of a water services authority, all of these inputs, including the SPCs, the county development plans, housing strategies, special amenity orders, river basin management plans, will be given an opportunity for an input. This will ensure that the strategic overview of councillors is ultimately taken into account in the formation of water services strategic plans. I doubt if any manager in any local authority will not take into consideration the views expressed by councillors, particularly those on SPCs.