Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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369. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount that was realised in efficiency savings since the creation of Irish Water for 2015 and 2016. [22626/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. Irish Water is a regulated utility and its operating and capital plans are reviewed by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) in accordance with Section 39 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013.

The CER has approved an “allowed revenue” for the current regulatory period, i.e. Quarter 4 2014 to end 2016. The CER imposed an annual efficiency challenge of 7% on Irish Water’s costs as submitted for this period. Details of Irish Water’s costs to 2016 are outlined in their revenue and water charges plan which was reviewed by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). Details of the review and the CER’s decision are available at www.cer.ie.

Irish Water has published a business plan for the period 2015 to 2021. The plan, available at www.water.ie, sets out €1.1 billion in operational efficiencies to be achieved over the period and €500m efficiencies in the delivery of the capital programme. This plan will be subject to regulatory review by the CER.

In relation to any further information on cumulative savings, Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ieor by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.