COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, May 13, 2013
QUESTION NO. 17
QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney
To ask the Manager for an updated schedule for the introduction of Irish Water and associated projects, and to make a statement on the matter?
REPLY:
In April 2012, the Government announced its decision to appoint Bord Gais Eireann (BGE) to establish a new national water utility company to be known as Irish Water.
In November 2012, the County and City Managers Association (CCMA) published a “Position Paper on Irish Water” and established a Water Services Transition Office to serve as a point of contact between Local Authorities and Irish Water.
A National Consultative Forum was established between the DECLG, CCMA, Irish Water and the Unions representing staff within Local Authority Water Services, chaired by the Labour Relations Commission. All Industrial Relations matters arising from the transition are dealt with in this Forum.
In April 2012, BGE established a group known as the “Irish Water Programme” within the BGE / Irish Water structure. Since the start of 2013, further recruitment to this group has continued and a schedule for delivery of the transition has been set out, based on the Government’s policy that, as and from 1st January 2014, all statutory responsibility for Water Services, together with all water services assets will transfer from Local Authorities to Irish Water.
From 1st January 2014, it is envisaged that Local Authorities will continue to deliver water services, acting as Agents of Irish Water, through Service Level Agreements.
In March 2013, Government enacted the Water Services Act 2013. This Act had the effect of establishing Irish Water and giving it certain limited statutory functions. It also added Water Services to the existing areas of responsibility of the Commission for Energy Regulation. Further legislation, providing for the full transfer of statutory function from Irish Local Authorities, in respect of water and waste water services, to Irish Water, is planned for late 2013.
Irish Water will take accountability of all Capital Projects in January 2014 through Regional and Central Irish Water offices, all open projects will transition to IW from Local Authorities at this date on an agreed basis to complete and close out. New Capital plans will be developed by Irish Water with input from the Department, Local Authorities and EPA.
In line with Government policy, and as set out in the Water Services Act 2013, it is intended that Irish Water will proceed, from July 2013, to install water meters wherever a domestic customer is connected to the public water supply. Irish Water have full responsibility for delivery of the meter programme. South Dublin County Council, in common with all Local Authorities and as agreed at the Consultative Forum, is carrying out a survey of existing connections on behalf of Irish Water in order to facilitate this meter programme. These surveys got underway in late April 2013 and will continue up to quarter four, 2013.
The pace of the transition process is challenging and staff have been dedicated from within the Council to deal with the matter. In addition, consultancy assistance has been procured to assist the four Dublin Local Authorities to deal with some of the issues arising in relation to the proposed Service Level Agreement in the Dublin Region.