Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 November 2013
106. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the investment his Department is making to water services around the country; the way future water charges will be spent to improve our current water system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51286/13]
View answerThe overall strategy of investment in water services to date has been to ensure that the timing and scale of investment facilitates economic and other development, achieves compliance with statutory requirements and promotes environmental sustainability objectives, including meeting the requirements of relevant EU Directives. The main vehicle for achieving these objectives for public domestic water supplies is the multi-annual Water Services Investment Programme (WSIP). The current Programme runs to the end of 2013 and 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.
From 1 January 2014 Irish Water will be responsible for the delivery of water services capital infrastructure and is currently preparing a Capital Investment Plan for 2014-2015. This Plan will include taking account of the transition of projects that are included in the current WSIP.
The Exchequer proposes a direct equity investment of €240m towards the capital funding of Irish Water in 2014. This will support projects to be included in Irish Water's Capital Investment Plan and will ensure that the entity is in a position to take on the water services investment programmes of the 34 water services authorities, including some 80 projects currently in progress. Irish Water will also finance some of its costs and the liabilities transferred from local authorities through borrowings in 2014.
