Written answers

Tuesday, 29 May 2018

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Irish Water

Photo of Pat CaseyPat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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624. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reasoning behind the decision to prevent parliamentary scrutiny by means of parliamentary question of Irish Water and its responsibilities in respect of provision to housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23141/18]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Water Services Acts 2007-2017 set out clearly the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Irish Water, and for the scrutiny and oversight provisions that apply in respect of these arrangements. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has been designated as the national authority for the provision of public water services, a role previously vested in 34 (now 31) local authorities. Irish Water therefore has statutory responsibility for all aspects of public water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. It is independent in the exercise of its statutory functions and in relation to day to day operational matters. I, as Minister, and my Department must respect the statutory powers and functions which the Oireachtas has conferred on Irish Water.

The Water Services Acts place specific responsibilities on me as Minister, including responsibility for matters relevant to water policy, funding and in the making of regulations. The Water Services Acts also put in place a variety of legislative and regulatory controls to ensure governance, oversight and accountability in relation to water services.

Irish Water’s Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP) published in 2015 sets out the strategic objectives for its delivery of water services over 25 years up to 2040 in order to ensure the provision of clean safe drinking water, effective management of wastewater, environmental protection and support for social and economic development. The Irish Water Business Plan, Transforming Water Services in Ireland to 2021 (also published in 2015), sets out its short to medium term planning in implementing the first phase of the Water Services Strategic Plan.

Irish Water is regulated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) as the independent economic regulator. The CRU is responsible for setting the total level of revenue which Irish Water can receive, through Government subvention and from customers, to cover its efficiently incurred costs. This CRU process involves, inter alia, reviewing submissions from Irish Water, including on its investment plan, and thereafter setting appropriate revenue allowances for operating costs, capital costs and other items for given regulatory periods. Consequently, the actual allowed operational expenditure and capital investment is decided by the CRU.

On 21 May 2018, I published the Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025 following its approval by Government. The Policy Statement gives clear direction to strategic planning and decision making on water and wastewater services in Ireland. The Policy Statement sets out a series of high-level policy objectives across the three thematic areas of Quality, Conservation, and Future Proofing, which must be pursued when planning capital investment and framing current spending plans. The Policy Statement is available on my Department’s website at the following link:

www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/water_services_policy_statement_2018-2025_0.pdf.

In relation to housing provision, the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness published in July 2016 is designed to accelerate housing supply and gives rise to an associated need for investment in water infrastructure and the provision of water services. The Water Services Policy Statement acknowledges that the objectives of the Government’s strategic approach to housing identified in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan and in the National Planning Framework will need to be provided for in terms of both treatment and network capacity. It is further acknowledged in the Policy Statement that related initiatives such as the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) and the Major Urban Housing Delivery (MUHD) sites are to be supported.

Within 3 months of publication of the Water Services Policy Statement, Irish Water must prepare a ‘Strategic Funding Plan’ setting out proposed operational and capital expenditure. Subject to its approval by me as Minister, the Strategic Funding Plan will ultimately feed into annual Exchequer decisions on spending. This Strategic Funding Plan will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Based on this Strategic Funding Plan, Irish Water’s next Capital Investment Plan for the five year period from 2020 to 2024 will set out the financial plan for capital investments to support Irish Water’s strategic objectives, as set out in the WSSP and in its Business Plan, to deliver improvements to water services where they are needed most. Irish Water will also take account of developing subsidiary programmes within its investment plan to assist in implementing the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan including the forthcoming Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies as well as ongoing reviews of local authority statutory land use plans. It is in this context that investment decisions in relation to individual projects will be made, including in respect of water services infrastructure that supports the development of housing.

In order to ensure that Oireachtas members may obtain information on issues arising in relation to Irish Water's activities, arrangements have been made for the establishment, within Irish Water, of a team to deal with any such queries efficiently. The team may be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on 1890 578 578.

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