Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 159: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the anticipated timeframe for the establishment of and beginning of operations by Irish Water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13024/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Programme for Government provides for the establishment of a new State-owned national water authority to take over responsibility for managing and supervising investment in water services infrastructure and to manage the domestic water metering programme. The Memorandum of Understanding between Ireland and the EU/IMF commits Ireland to undertaking an independent assessment of the establishment of such an authority.

The first phase of work on the independent assessment has been completed. The phase 1 report and a position paper setting out proposed reforms in the water sector was published as part of a public consultation phase which concluded recently. The independent assessment concludes, based on an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the current system, international experience and stakeholder soundings, that Irish Water should be created as a public utility in a regulated environment. The initial transition strategy envisages a staged approach involving:

· Appointment of an interim board and Project Management Office in 2012 pending the establishment of Irish Water under its own statute by mid 2013;

· Irish Water would acquire statutory responsibility for water services in mid 2013, with ownership of assets transferring from local authorities from that date;

· Local authorities would be agents of Irish Water for a period with Irish Water taking over their operations on a phased basis from January 2015;

· The full transfer of operations would be completed by end 2017.

The next stage of the consultancy work involves the development of an implementation plan which will address transformation planning in more detail.