Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 January 2014
556. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government where in the Water Services Act it specifies that Irish Water will be retained in public ownership and not privatised. [4153/14]
View answerThe Water Services Act 2013 provides for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group. Section 5 of the Act also sets out the share structure of Irish Water, providing for one share to be allocated to Bord Gáis Éireann and for the remaining shares to be issued equally between the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister for Finance.
The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, which came into effect on 1 January 2014, provides for the transfer of responsibility for the delivery of water services from the water services authorities to Irish Water. Section 46 of this Act provides for amendments to section 5 of the Water Services Act 2013. The amended provision precludes the three above mentioned shareholders of Irish Water from alienating the shares issued to them. The effect of this amendment is that there is now a statutory prohibition on the privatisation of Irish Water.
