The overall strategy of investment in water services is to ensure that the timing and scale of investment facilitates economic and other development, achieves compliance with statutory requirements and promotes environmental sustainability objectives. The main vehicle for achieving these objectives for public domestic water supplies is the multi-annual Water Services Investment Programme.
The current Programme, which runs to the end of 2013, provides for the commencement of contracts with a value of over €800 million in relation to water supply infrastructure. This includes contracts to address deficiencies in the quality of supply, to improve the overall capacity of the system and an accelerated programme of mains rehabilitation. The Programme also provides for the advancement of a further range of schemes through planning, for progression to construction in future investment cycles.
The development of the programme followed a comprehensive review of investment requirements initiated in 2009 involving an assessment of needs for water and sewerage services by each water services authority and taking account of reports by the Environmental Protection Agency on drinking water quality and an assessment by Forfás of the requirements of enterprise in Gateways and Hubs, as well as River Basin Management Plans.
In addition, a detailed project appraisal is undertaken during the planning phase of each scheme, which determines issues such as the appropriate source of water, projected future demand and the most cost effective solution to meeting needs. There is, therefore, a strong evidence base, from technical assessments, environmental monitoring and policy studies to underpin the strategic direction of water services capital investment. In order to create efficiencies, improve service delivery and achieve cost savings in the delivery of water services, the Programme for Government provides a series of reforms to be advanced in the water sector, including the establishment of Irish Water. An implementation strategy for the establishment of Irish Water has been finalised and is available on my Department’s website. As part of this strategy, a specific work-stream is considering the matters arising in the proposed transfer of the responsibility for capital programme delivery from the 34 local authorities to Irish Water. This includes the development of the capital investment programme for 2014 to 2015 and the development of a capital transition plan to manage the orderly transition from current arrangements to the new arrangements to be put in place by Irish Water.
