Written Answers Nos. 1517-1533
1517. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if planning permission for a strategic infrastructure development will be amended by An Bord Pleanála while the planning permission in question is the subject of an enforcement notice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15210/18]
View answerThere is no provision in the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, prohibiting the making of a request to alter the terms of a planning permission, approval or other consent granted under the Act in respect of a strategic infrastructure development which is the subject of an enforcement notice served by a planning authority. Neither is there a provision in the 2000 Act empowering or requiring An Bord Pleanála to refuse to consider, or to defer consideration of, a request made in such circumstances.
1518. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the system for controlling environmental impact statement and appropriate assessment documents which underpin planning applications in order that the documents are publicly available for compliance monitoring after planning permission has been granted but cannot be tampered with or altered. [15212/18]
View answerSections 38, 141 and 146 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, require a planning authority and An Bord Pleanála, respectively, within 3 working days of making a decision on a planning application or appeal, to make the relevant documents (including any environmental impact statement or Natura impact statement) available for inspection and purchase during office hours at the relevant offices. These documents must continue to be made available to the public for at least 7 years after the making of the decision on a planning application or for at least 5 years beginning on the third day following the making by the Board of a decision on an appeal.
It is a matter for each planning authority and the Board, as appropriate, to take the necessary measures to prevent any unauthorised interference with documents made available to the public in accordance with these provisions.
1519. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the way in which the early risk categorisation of buildings was carried out in view of the fact that cladding on high rise buildings was not the cause of fire in Grenfell but, rather, the material concealed underneath the cladding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15215/18]
View answerI presume the Deputy is referring to the “area risk categorisation” process provided for in the national policy document “Keeping Communities Safe - A Framework for Fire Safety in Ireland” which was published by my Department in February 2013. For the first time, this document set out a national process and standards against which local authorities can benchmark their fire services. A copy of “Keeping Communities Safe - A Framework for Fire Safety in Ireland” is available on my Department's website at: http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/Community/FireandEmergencyServices/FileDownLoad%2C32381%2Cen.pdf.
This policy document provides for each fire service to undertake an Area Risk Categorisation process in respect of each of its fire station areas. In 2013/14, following the publication of “Keeping Communities Safe”, each fire authority undertook an initial area risk categorisation for its functional area and reported on the process. The outcome of this process is a judgement by fire service management to establish a risk grading across very high risk, high risk, medium risk, low risk or very low risk categories. The initial fire station risk ratings for Ireland’s 217 fire stations are published in the 2016 report “Local Delivery – National Consistency – Fire Services in Ireland”. A copy of “Local Delivery – National Consistency – Fire Services in Ireland” is available on my Department's website at:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/evg_report_-_april_2016_-_final.pdf.
The Keeping Communities Policy document requires fire services to have an initial response capability in place which is linked to the assessed Area Risk Category. Arising from the work of the External Validation Group mandated by the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management which prepared the “Local Delivery – National Consistency” report referred to above, I am satisfied that the fire services provided in Ireland are meeting the appropriate standards.
The Area Risk Categorisation process uses nine specific criteria, including 3 years of actual fire data, and it was not considered necessary or appropriate for the area risk categorisation process to look at fire safety in individual buildings. For individual buildings, fire services, based on a prioritisation by local fire station officers, undertake “Pre-Incident Planning” in relation to what they perceive as the major fire risk buildings within their fire station areas.
The fire in Grenfell Tower occurred in June 2017, a number of years after the initial area risk categorisation process had been completed by fire authorities. In this context, the connection suggested in the Question between the cause of the fire in Grenfell Tower (an individual building) and the area risk categorisation process undertaken by fire authorities (an area based process) is unclear.
Following the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, my Department asked fire authorities to identify buildings of more than six stories or more than 18m in height in their functional areas. Among these medium to high rise buildings, fire authorities were asked to identify those buildings with cladding and to consider if the use of the power under section 18(6) of the Fire Service Acts 1981 and 2003, to require the person having control over the building to carry out a fire safety assessment of the building, including the cladding, was warranted.
In December 2017, my Department issued a guidance note "Fire Safety Guidance Note 01 of 2017 Assessing Existing Cladding Systems in Buildings of More than Six Storeys, or More than 18m in Height". The guidance note was circulated to fire authorities and placed on my Department’s website as a support for those undertaking assessments of cladding in existing medium to high rise buildings. The guidance note includes consideration of the components of the cladding system, including insulation and cladding materials and is available at:http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/fire_safety_guidance_note_01_of_2017.pdf.
1520. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the new affordable housing scheme will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15272/18]
View answerThe delivery of more affordable homes, to buy or rent, is a major priority for Government, focusing in particular on the cities of Dublin, Galway and Cork, where people are facing the greatest affordability challenge. Increased delivery of homes at more affordable prices will involve local authorities developing their own residential land bank, comprising some 1,700 hectares, to its full potential. Where appropriate, it will include local authorities working with approved housing bodies and realising a mix of tenures from these lands, including affordable purchase and/or cost rental.
Recognising that there are enabling infrastructure requirements on some sites, I am also providing Exchequer funding of €25 million over 2018 and 2019 for a targeted programme, where the local authority will make low-cost serviced sites available for affordable housing, within the parameters of the overall affordable purchase scheme that will be set down in Regulations. My Department is currently drawing up the criteria for access to this fund, taking account of broader policy on affordable housing, and will be inviting submissions from local authorities in the coming weeks.
I expect local authorities to be pro-active in developing and bringing forward innovative concepts regarding the use of their land for the delivery of both affordable homes for purchase and rent. Arising from the second Housing Summit with local authority Chief Executives in January 2018, I asked each local authority to furnish a report to me, setting out their plans for delivery of both social and affordable housing, with a particular focus on affordable home provision in the main urban centres, where the greatest challenges exist. These reports have recently been received and are under consideration by my Department.
In overall terms, from initial estimates, I expect that in the region of 3,000 new affordable homes can be made available through a range of schemes and initiatives, with the long-term ambition for some 10,000 additional affordable homes to be provided for sale or rent, as the initiatives are rolled out.
The affordable purchase scheme will be based on the relevant provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the relevant commencement provisions and enabling regulations are currently in preparation and will be finalised in the coming weeks. In terms of cost rental initiatives, my Department is working with local authorities and other stakeholders with a view to announcing the first major cost rental project in Dublin shortly, with a cost rental programme across Dublin and other cities to follow.
1521. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the obligations an applicant is under in respect of the new fast-track planning application process directly to An Bord Pleanála to advertise such applications; the obligations An Bord Pleanála has to make the records from such applications available for view both in local government offices and online; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15275/18]
View answerThe Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 provides for new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHD) to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála (the Board) for determination. The Planning and Development (Strategic Housing Development) Regulations 2017 supplement the provisions in the 2016 Act and prescribe the detailed procedural and administrative matters relating to proposed SHD.
The new procedures relating to applications for SHD include provisions relating to public notification, site notice and public consultation of any such proposals. In this regard, the applicant must (i) erect a site notice in a conspicuous position on the land in which it is proposed to carry out a SHD, (ii) publish a notice of a SHD proposal in one or more newspapers circulating in the area in which it is proposed to carry out a SHD, and (iii) make the application available for public viewing on a website set up for this purpose. Furthermore, a SHD application must also be available to view by members of the public in the offices of the Board and the relevant planning authority, while members of the public also have the opportunity of a 5-week public consultation period to submit any written observations on a proposed SHD to the Board before the Board makes a determination on the application.
Additionally, the 2017 Regulations provide for the publication of a weekly list of applications received and applications determined or otherwise disposed of by the Board in relation to SHD cases. These weekly lists are available to view on the Board's website at http://www.pleanala.ie/ .
1522. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a review of the pyrite remediation scheme will be carried out with a view to including all homes with a category one rating in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15288/18]
View answer1523. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the definition of his Department's view of the exceptional circumstances clause when accessing appeals of refusals for applications to the pyrite remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15289/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1522 and 1523 together.
The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” for affected homeowners who have no other practical option to obtain redress and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website, www.pyriteboard.ie.
The scheme is applicable to dwellings which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave established, in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2013 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. In this regard, it is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a Building Condition Assessment with a Damage Condition Rating of 2. Dwellings which do not have a Damage Condition Rating of 2 are not eligible to apply under the scheme. This ensures that, having regard to the available resources, the focus of the scheme is on dwellings which are most severely damaged by pyritic heave. I have no proposals to amend this eligibility criterion.
Where a dwelling, otherwise not eligible for inclusion in the scheme, adjoins a dwelling already included in the scheme, such a dwelling may be considered in accordance with the exceptional circumstance provisions set out in section 17 of the Act. Section 17 provides that exceptional circumstances may apply where -
- failure to include a dwelling in the scheme may result in damage to that dwelling or damage to the dwelling being remediated under the scheme, or
- pyrite remediation work is causing or may cause damage to a dwelling.
The Housing Agency will consider if exceptional circumstances apply when the Remedial Works Plan is being drawn up and the Board will be informed of any recommendation for a decision in the matter. To date, no dwellings have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme under the exceptional circumstances provisions of the Act. My Department is in regular contact with the Board and the Housing Agency in relation to the implementation of the scheme and is satisfied with the arrangements that are currently in place, including in relation to appeals.
The Report of the Pyrite Panel (June 2012) recommended a categorisation system as a means of prioritising pyrite remediation works in recognition of the expensive and intrusive nature of pyrite remediation and the unpredictability of pyritic heave. The independent Pyrite Panel was clear in its view that only dwellings with significant damage due to pyritic heave should be remediated and that it would be unreasonable to expect dwellings not exhibiting such damage to be remediated.
Dwellings which have no significant damage but have reactive pyrite in the hardcore material should be monitored and only remediated if they display significant damage due to pyritic heave. This remains the position with regard to dwellings which do not display significant pyritic damage.
On foot of this recommendation of the Pyrite Panel, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) published I.S. 398-1:2013 Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol in 2013.The standard provides the means by which dwellings that may be affected by pyrite can be tested and categorised.
In late 2015, the NSAI commenced a review of I.S. 398-1:2013 in the light of practical experience since the standard was first introduced in January 2013. The standard was updated and revised to reflect the on-site experiences and evidence gathered by technical experts, such as engineers, geologists, professionals providing sampling and testing services and other technical experts, who have been using the standard over the past four years and was published on 4 August 2017.
I welcome the revised standard published by the NSAI and in this context I signed the Pyrite Resolution (Standard for Testing) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 556 of 2017) on 6 December 2017. These Regulations provide that pursuant to section 14(9)(a) of the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013, the “standard for testing” for the purpose of the Act shall be Irish Standard 398-1:2017 Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material —Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol, as published by the National Standards Authority of Ireland on 4 August 2017.
Any amendments which the Pyrite Resolution Board consider are required to the scheme as a result of the revised standard will be given full consideration should they be submitted to me in accordance with the requirements of the Act.
The latest figures available indicate that a total of 2,031 applications have been received under the pyrite remediation scheme. Of the 2,031 applications received so far, 1,594 dwellings have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme and the applicants notified accordingly.
A further 85 applications have been validated and referred to the Housing Agency for the Assessment and Verification Process, while another 225 applications are at the initial Application and Validation Process. 127 applications under the scheme were not successful.
Of the 1,594 dwellings that have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme:
- 284 are at remedial works planning stage,
- 85 are at tender / tender analysis,
- 208 are under remediation, and
- 1,017 are complete.
A sum of €30 million was announced under Budget 2018 to fund the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme this year. This allocation will facilitate the remediation of some 430 additional dwellings and is a clear signal of the continuing importance attached by Government to addressing the issue of significant pyritic damage in private dwellings.
1524. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if legislative proposals are being considered to examine the legal principle of caveat emptor in respect of property transactions with the view to giving added protection to buyers and to guard against potential losses being suffered by home owners owing to structural defects which may have been undetected at the time of purchase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15300/18]
View answerThe examination of the principle of caveat emptor in respect of property transactions is a complex legal matter with potential implications for the entire legal system, as well as for the insurance industry.
In this context, in February 2018, my Department wrote to the Law Reform Commission and also corresponded with those involved with the review of the administration of Civil Justice in Ireland, requesting that they consider the issue of effective and accessible legal remedies for homeowners who discover defects in their homes.
In general, building defects are matters for resolution between the contracting parties involved, i.e. the homeowner, the builder, the developer and/or their respective insurers, structural guarantee or warranty scheme. It is important to note that while my Department has overall responsibility for establishing and maintaining an effective regulatory framework for building standards and building control, it has no general statutory role in resolving defects in privately owned buildings, including dwellings, nor does it have a budget for such matters. In this regard, it is incumbent on the parties responsible for poor workmanship and/or the supply of defective materials to face up to their responsibilities and take appropriate action to provide remedies for the affected homeowners.
Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, primary responsibility for compliance of works with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the owners, designers and builders of buildings. Enforcement of the Building Regulations is a matter for the 31 local building control authorities, who have extensive powers of inspection and enforcement under the Acts and who are independent in the use of their statutory powers.
It should be noted that in response to the many building failures that emerged in the last decade, my Department has focussed on a building control reform agenda, including the following:
- the introduction of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, which require greater accountability in relation to compliance with Building Regulations in the form of statutory certification;
- working closely with the Local Government Management Agency on the oversight and governance of the local authority Building Control System to improve its effectiveness; and
- progressing primary legislation, the Building Control (Construction Industry Register Ireland) Bill 2017, to develop and promote a culture of competence, good practice and compliance with the building regulations in the construction sector.
1526. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of pieces of legislation both enacted and published by his Department which originated in work carried out by the Law Reform Commission in each of the past ten years in tabular form; the details of each piece of legislation in the corresponding year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15351/18]
View answerWhile my Department does not routinely collect data of this nature, in the past ten years, there were two sections of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 which implemented Law Reform Commission recommendations and are detailed in the table below:
|
Year |
Title of Act |
Section of Act |
Law Reform Commission Recommendation |
|
2010 |
Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 |
Section 59 (amended Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000) |
Report on Multi-Unit Developments, published June 2008 - recommended that it should be owners of units only who would have the right to determine whether a housing/residential estate is taken in charge by the planning authority, in certain circumstances. |
|
Section 32 (amended section 50A of the Planning and Development Act 2000) |
Report on Judicial Review Procedure, published February 2004 – recommended to introduce a judicial discretion whereby the judge can proceed to hear the leave stage of Judicial Reviews on an ex parte or inter partes basis. |
1527. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of an application by a company (details supplied) for a foreshore licence to harvest seaweed off the coast of County Mayo; and if his attention has been drawn to the concerns raised by local persons. [15364/18]
View answerThis application, along with others, most of which are by companies, is effectively on hold until such time as I am in a position to bring clarity to the regulatory regime applying to the harvesting of wild seaweed, including the interaction between the applications on hand from companies and any seaweed related rights that exist along the west coast. At that point the applications on hand will come before me for determination. Work on this complex legal issue is continuing and I hope to have made substantial progress on the matter later in the second quarter of this year.
1528. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2013. [15365/18]
View answerConsiderable work has been undertaken to advance the drafting of the Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill, including through engagement with the Marine Coordination Group and a number of workshops and bilateral meetings with relevant policy Departments and the Office of the Attorney General throughout 2017 and early 2018. Legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General will be available to my Department shortly, which will inform the further drafting of the legislation.
1529. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if funding will be made available through the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF, or other viable funding streams within his Department to progress the port access northern cross route project in Drogheda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15379/18]
View answerThe first call for proposals under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) was issued to all local authorities in August 2016 and 34 projects received preliminary approval in March 2017.
Louth County Council submitted three projects for consideration under LIHAF. Funding was approved for an access road at Newtown Road, Drogheda in the amount of €1.22 million and for road improvements at Mount Avenue, Dundalk in the amount of €3.33m. However, the proposal for the Port Access Northern Access Route (PANCR), Drogheda was not approved for funding at that time.
As part of Budget 2018, I announced that an additional €50 million Exchequer funding will be available for a second LIHAF call. This will, as was the case in the original LIHAF call, be subject to matching funding by local authorities, where the Department will provide 75% Exchequer funding, with the Local Authorities themselves providing 25% matching funding. This will bring overall LIHAF funding under both calls to €266 million.
I anticipate that there will be a further call for proposals under phase 2 of LIHAF shortly. It will be open to all local authorities to submit new projects or resubmit previous projects for consideration at that time. Following assessment and selection of successful projects, it is expected that these LIHAF 2 projects would commence towards the end of 2018.
1530. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to extend the loan interest rates currently available under the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme to existing local authority mortgage holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15385/18]
View answer1621. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to enable existing local authority mortgage holders to avail of new interest rates in the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16629/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1530 and 1621 together.
Following a review of the two existing local authority home loan schemes, the House Purchase Loan and the Home Choice Loan, a new loan offering known as the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan was introduced, with effect from 1 February 2018. The new loan enables credit-worthy first-time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range. The low rate of fixed interest associated with the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan provides first-time buyers with access to mortgage finance that they may not have otherwise been able to afford at a higher interest rate.
As with previous local authority house purchase loan finance, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is available to first-time buyers only. This is to ensure the effective targeting of limited resources and there is no change in this regard.
The low interest rates for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan have been secured through the raising of €200 million by the Housing Finance Agency (HFA) on a fixed-rate basis for periods out to thirty years' maturity. Based on the pricing achieved, local authorities can offer a first tranche of fixed-rate annuity finance to eligible borrowers at rates of 2.0% and 2.25% per annum, for terms of up to 25 and 30 years respectively, up to an aggregate maximum of €200 million.
As such, these conditions are solely available to new applicants under the specific terms and conditions of the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. Existing local authority mortgage holders remain subject to the terms and conditions of their loans as originally agreed at the point of drawdown of their individual loans.
1531. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a landlord is discriminating against a tenant by not signing up to the housing assistance payment in certain circumstances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15388/18]
View answerLimerick City and County Council provide a highly effective transactional shared service in respect of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, on behalf of all local authorities. This HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages all HAP related rental transactions for the tenant, local authority and landlord. Once a HAP application has been received and confirmed as valid by the relevant local authority, it is then processed by the HAP SSC. On average, HAP applications are processed by the HAP Shared Service Centre within 1 working day of receipt. Any rental payment arising for a given month will then be made to a landlord on the last Wednesday of that month.
A landlord or an agent acting on behalf of a landlord is not legally obliged to enter into a tenancy agreement with a HAP recipient. However, on 1 January 2016, the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015 introduced “housing assistance” as a new discriminatory ground. This means that discrimination in the provision of accommodation or related service and amenities against people in receipt of rent supplement, HAP or other social welfare payments is prohibited. Further information is available at https://www.ihrec.ie/your-rights/i-have-an-issue-with-a-service/i-have-an-issue-about-accommodation/.
If a person feels that they have been discriminated against by a landlord or their agent, they can make a complaint under the Equal Status Acts to the Workplace Relations Commission; further information is available on the Commission's website, https://www.workplacerelations.ie.
Over 35,000 eligible households are currently being supported through HAP, with over 21,000 individual landlords and agents providing accommodation via the scheme.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. In general, I am satisfied with the operation of the HAP and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme outlined under Rebuilding Ireland.
1532. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of funding for fire stations (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15415/18]
View answerIn February 2016, my Department announced a five-year Fire Services Capital Programme with an allocation of €40 million, based on the current annual €8 million allocation, to be used for the purchase of fire appliances and specialist equipment, building or upgrading of prioritised Fire Stations, an upgrade of the Communications and Mobilisation system and improvements to Training Centres.
The projects in the capital programme are reassessed on an annual basis and priority may be adjusted to bring forward projects offering best value-for-money and to take account of the state of readiness of projects generally.
An upgrade of Killarney fire station is provided for in the five-year programme as the priority project in Kerry. Updated project documentation, including a capital appraisal and detailed cost plan, was received in my Department in March 2017, indicating a total project cost of €498,500. In April 2017, my Department approved Kerry County Council to proceed to tender for the proposed works. A firm tender proposal is awaited from the Council, and on receipt of same my Department will progress this project to the next stages with the Council.
Approval was granted to Kerry County Council to proceed to planning stage for a new fire station in Kenmare under the 2008 Capital Programme. It is understood that planning permission was granted. The Council was notified in 2009 that, in light of budgetary constraints, there was limited scope to progress the project. My Department has had no further communication from the Council regarding this project.
My Department has not received any funding request from Kerry County Council regarding refurbishment of Listowel fire station.
1533. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will request Irish Water to examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15430/18]
View answerSince 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The circumstances described arose in the context of Irish Water's fulfillment of its operational activities and I have no function in the matter.
Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
