Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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125. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 133 of 29 January 2014, if he will confirm the reason contractors must have a project supervisor design phase qualification to unblock or free a four inch sewer; if he will accept tha the way the tender documents are structured that Irish Water will now pay up to three times the price to have sewers unblocked as was heretofore paid by the local authorities; if this additional cost will be lumped on to the price of water to the householder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5868/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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As Irish Water is a commercial utility and a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE), formed and registered under the Companies Act, I and my Department will not necessarily have access to details of, or direct accountability for, expenditure and other organisational matters in relation to the company. Procurement by Irish Water of external resources is a matter for the company and I have no role in approving individual contracts. However, in this context, and to support and assist public representatives in their role, my Department has requested Irish Water, on behalf of myself and Minister O’Dowd, to take early action to ensure that public representatives are regularly briefed on matters pertaining to the organisation and operation of the utility. Irish Water is currently considering how best to support and respond to the Parliamentary and public representation needs of elected representatives at national and local level.

Pending the establishment of these arrangements, my Department requested the information sought in the question from Irish Water and I can indicate that the unblocking or freeing of sewer pipes was covered under the competition for CCTV & Jetting Works. Within this, Project Supervisor for the Design Phase (PSDP) requirements are statutory appointments under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 which are applicable to all construction works, including “redecoration or other maintenance, including cleaning involving the use of water or an abrasive at high pressure...”. By their nature, CCTV & Jetting Works (the unblocking or freeing of sewer pipes) often require “design” elements such as traffic management, risk assessments, confined space work plans, etc.  Irish Water sought suitable contractors who could undertake these roles and be deemed competent for same in accordance with the Regulations.

As regards costs, all works and services framework contract tenders included a number of pricing options. The pricing options allow the award of work based on the most competitively priced option. Irish Water is not obliged to issue work at the prices submitted. The default position is to use the lowest priced framework contractor or alternatively run a mini-tender competition to ensure value for money. The approval of works purchase orders and assessment of quotations is overseen and monitored centrally by Irish Water. The nationwide operational frameworks that Irish Water has awarded are competitively priced and will ensure operations supported by third party services providers are cost efficient.