Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 November 2013
448. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the public service embargo will apply to an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50239/13]
View answerThe Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann to be formed and registered under the Companies Act. Irish Water is currently recruiting to build up the internal capabilities required within the organisation and the numbers of staff employed is an operational matter for the organisation. It was agreed by the Steering Group for the Water Sector Reform programme that, to ensure skills within the sector were fully availed of in building up the new organisation, competitions for positions in asset management, capital delivery and operations would be restricted to staff in the partner organisations i.e. Bord Gáis Éireann, local authorities and my Department in the first instance. Open competitions are held for all other positions and details of these are available on Irish Water's website www.water.ie. Data supplied by Irish Water indicate that at present 183 staff have been recruited to the Irish Water organisation with 103 having taken up duty and 80 due to start.
