Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

This amendment is included to enable the Minister to contact directly persons who may be affected by an order exempting Irish Water from the requirements of all or any provision of Part 5 owing to a civil emergency under the EIA directive. When making an application for such an exemption under section 80, Irish Water will be required to furnish the Minister with the contact details of owners or occupiers of affected land and persons whose rights may be affected in respect of the water to which the proposed abstraction relates. This will allow the Minister to directly notify those persons of the order once made at the same time as notifying Irish Water and the agency. Where the Minister declines to make an order declaring a civil emergency, Irish Water will be required to submit a proposal to carry out a temporary abstraction under section 75 and affected persons will be able to appeal against that proposal under section 81.