Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the progress made by Irish Water to date in progressing Government policy on water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46154/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The establishment of Irish Water is a key element of the Government’s policy for the water sector and the series of reforms designed to provide a better organisational and funding model for the sector to address the challenges of the future. There are essentially three inter-related components to the reform programme and to date decisions have been taken by Government to:

- establish Irish Water as an independent state owned company within the Bord Gáis Group based on a public utility model;

- introduce a sustainable funding model to support much needed investment in the sector, which will include the introduction of water charges for domestic users, and

- establish an independent economic regulator for water services, a function being assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation.