Written answers

Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Water Meters Installation

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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423. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for the valuable scrap metal that will be collected during the course of works to install water meters. [2281/14]

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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427. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if a direction has been given to Irish Water to the effect that access should be maintained to households during water meter installation, as its contractor' trucks have obstructed the driveways of elderly residents thereby blocking emergency vehicles from accessing their properties. [2336/14]

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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442. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department can provide a projected timeline for the installation of water meters to the 300,000 homes that have not been included in the initial roll-out of metering; if it is the intention of Irish Water and his Department that meters will be installed at these homes in the foreseeable future; if two homes sharing a single connection will be treated any differently to an apartment block; the reason this supply cannot be split as part of the meter installation programme; if he will provide an update on the deliberations of the Commission for Energy Regulation in respect of water charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2590/14]

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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469. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the way residents can independently verify the readings on their water meters in view of the fact that they are covered with plastic covers and all the numbers are not visible; and the scope there is for householders to ascertain whether there are leaks in the system. [2765/14]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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481. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the current rate of water meter roll-out per month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2851/14]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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483. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department have been informed about pension rights compliance issues and other wage concerns with subcontractors handling the roll-out of meters on behalf of Irish Water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2853/14]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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484. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of the subcontractors involved in the roll-out of water meters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2854/14]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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485. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the jobs created by the roll-out of water metering has met the criteria as laid out by him in terms of taking people off the live register and upskilling apprentices; the percentages met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2855/14]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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486. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the total spending on water metering to date; the total budget; if he anticipates any further funding beyond that which has been budgeted for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2856/14]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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487. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the current estimated timeframe for the completion of water metering; the number of homes that will be metered; the number of homes that will receive a flat charge; if there are any interim measures for flat charges on houses that will be metered in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2857/14]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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488. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form a county breakdown of the number of houses metered to date; the number expected to be metered by the end of 2014, 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2858/14]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 423, 427, 442, 469, 481 and 483 to 488, inclusive, together.

The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to the introduction of water charges based on usage above a free allowance. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has, therefore, decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies. The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group and assigned the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the metering programme.

The current water meter installation programme commenced in August 2013 and the approved budget for the programme is €539 million (excluding VAT) which includes the supply of materials and the installation work by contractors operating in eight regions. The total spend on the programme at the end of 2013 amounted to approximately €35 million. It is estimated that 1.05 million meters will be installed under the programme; with about 400,000 by the end of this year, over 800,000 by the end of 2015 and the balance in 2016. The current rate of installation is some 27,000 meters a month and approximately 94,000 meters have been installed to date. A breakdown of the installations by region is set out in the following table.

Meter installations by region

Region All North West West South West North East Dublin City Midlands County Dublin South East
Meter 93,640 7,012 6,520 7,790 12,445 13,613 22,064 15,646 8,550

A study by Irish Water on the approach to metering further categories of households, including apartments and properties with shared service connections, has been finalised and recently submitted to my Department. The approach in relation to such households will be developed when the study has been considered in more detail. The nature of the works may restrict access to driveways temporarily and will cause some disruption to the public road or footpath outside people's homes and area, which may last for a few days. Irish Water advises that this is unavoidable, but it is endeavouring to keep this disruption to a minimum and to ensure that safe pedestrian access to properties is retained while the work is carried out. There may be instances where access to driveways is blocked overnight to ensure that reinstatement is carried out to the highest level and this is done in accordance with all relevant health and safety requirements, including facilitating access by emergency vehicles. A strong focus has been placed on customer communications during this process and any additional support or advice can be arranged for householders with any disability, mobility or medical concerns by ringing the Irish Water call centre (1890 278 278) in advance of the meter installation. The meter will be installed, where possible, at the stop valve on the public footpath or verge outside a property. The water meters are the property of Irish Water and it is illegal to tamper with a meter. However, it will be possible for a customer to access the meter to verify readings.

Irish Water will aim to reuse existing water meters that are owned by the local authority, where possible. If the meter has the potential to be reused it will be removed and examined to make sure that this is possible. If it is suitable it will be reused within the programme. Where it is not deemed possible to reuse the meter, it will be disposed of in the most sustainable manner possible by the contractor in accordance with the requirements of the contract.

The contractors for the 8 meter regions received, as part of their contract, details of the panel of subcontractors formed by my Department. The contractors may employ from that list, but are under no obligation to do so. The employment of subcontractors is a matter for each regional contractor. Irish Water carries out compliance checks on the contractors. All contractors have also provided information on employees to ensure compliance with the social Inclusion obligations. Data supplied to the Department by Irish Water indicates the following levels of employment created by the metering programme to date.

Employment created by metering programme

No of employees on contract No of employees from SMES No of employees from unemployment register No of apprentices/graduates

& school leavers
871 475 156 57
-54.5% 17.9% 6.5%

As the metering programme will still be underway when charges are introduced, an appropriate approach to charging customers who are not metered at that stage will be put in place. This will be structured in such a way as to ensure that it represents a reasonable proxy for usage and is fair. The approach to charges for both metered and unmetered properties will be included in a public consultation which will be undertaken by the Commission for Energy Regulation as part of the regulatory process.

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