Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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49. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when it is proposed to commence legislation to ensure that Irish Water may no longer require the PPS numbers of its customers. [49116/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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As you are aware, the Government recently announced a revised package of measures for water charges, which, when implemented, will negate the necessity for Irish Water to collect, store and use PPS numbers. As a consequence, there will no longer be a need for Irish Water to be listed as a specified body in Schedule 5 to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act for the purposes of using PPS Numbers.

My colleague, the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government is currently bringing the Water Services Bill 2014 through the Houses of the Oireachtas to give these measures legislative effect. Section 11 of this Bill provides for the deletion of Irish Water as a body specified to use PPS numbers. Section 11 also provides that this change will come into operation by way of a Commencement Order to be made by the Minister for Social Protection, in consultation with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, to facilitate the deletion of all PPS data currently held by Irish Water in the case of those people who had already registered and provided their details. The process of deleting PPS data held by Irish Water will be undertaken in consultation with the Data Protection Commissioner’s Office and the Department of Social Protection.