Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the way that working arrangements between local authorities and Irish Water can be improved in order to enhance the delivery of water services across Ireland. [46446/21]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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166. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason for the early suspension of the Workplace Relations Commission single water utility led talks over the summer; and the reason the next round of talks have been further delayed until October 2021. [46409/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 166 together.

The Government published a Policy Paper entitledIrish Water - Towards a national, publicly-owned, regulated water services utilityin February 2021 setting out our views and expectations on the next phase of transformation in the water sector, to involve the integration of water services operations within Irish Water's organisation structure.

This will complete the broad policy and legislative reforms which have seen public water services embark on a journey of transformation, from a structure based on locally-organised water services authorities, towards a single, national, water utility in public ownership.

There are significant issues for the workforce to be addressed in integrating the day-to-day operation and delivery of water services within Irish Water. To resolve these, I asked the Workplace Relations Commission to engage with all parties aimed at reaching a collective agreement on a Framework for the future delivery of water services. Following a number of bilateral engagements between my Department and trade unions on the broader transformation agenda (on the issues identified in the Policy Paper) initial talks on the IR issues took place under the aegis of the WRC in July. This was the first face to face engagement on the process since the policy paper was published and allowed both sides to clearly set out their positions on the process. It was agreed by both sides that further clarification was required to enable the talks to continue and it was mutually agreed to adjourn the talks further until the Autumn. It is intended that the talks will recommence in the coming weeks. The Government believes it will be possible to reach a collective agreement which addresses the interests and concerns of all parties.