Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

For the information of the House, the CER, which is an independent regulator, is already providing this service to customers of other utility companies, and it has published reports on these matters on its websites. The CER deals with unresolved issues after the company's complaints process is exhausted. The dispute resolution service is just one specific area of the energy customer team within the CER. That division of the CER also addresses more simple requests for information and the provision of general advice to customers. The CER decision is binding on the company but the customer is free to take the matter further if they so wish - for example, to the courts.

This section protects the interests of the customer of Irish Water and, like any other customer, he or she has the full recourse of the company process. It is only where the complaint has not been resolved in this way that the dispute resolution mechanism is available. It strengthens the position of the customer and gives the CER a statutory role in an independent process to have an oversight and a view where disputes arise, and it should be welcomed in the interests of customers.