Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As a consequence, there will no longer be a need for Irish Water to be listed as a specified body in Schedule 5 to the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act for the purposes of using the PPS numbers. Therefore, the only time that a householder will have to provide his or her PPS number is when, and if, he or she is registering for the €100 water conservation grant to be paid through the Department of Social Protection. As I have said, the Department of Social Protection is the official agency, over a long period, for the issuance of PPS numbers and dealing with any other related matters. I am very confident that this will allay any concerns expressed on this matter.

There are a number of related changes that need to be borne in mind. Provision is being made for the supply of information by Irish Water to the Department of Social Protection for the purposes of the water conservation grant. My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, is currently progressing the Water Services Bill 2014, which provides for all of the changes on Irish Water announced by the Government, through the Houses. As the Senators know, that legislation is before the Dáil and is due to come before this House before the end of this week. Section 11 of the Water Services Bill provides for the deletion of Irish Water as a body specified to use PPS numbers. Section 11 also provides that this change will come into operation by way of a commencement order to be made by the Minister for Social Protection in consultation with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.