Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021
334. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the proposed Shannon pipeline for water provision is still being considered by Government; and the timelines and current projected costs for the project. [46086/21]
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, including the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands. Irish Water takes a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning and investment, and meeting customer requirements. The prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for determination by Irish Water.
Irish Water is also developing a National Water Resource Plan (NWRP) which is a 25 year strategy to ensure a sustainable, secure and reliable public drinking water supply, setting out how Irish Water is to balance the supply and demand for drinking water over the short, medium and long term. It is a strategic framework used to identify deficiencies across the whole water supply system, and to develop plans and programmes to address them through capital investment, demand management and improved operation of facilities and distribution networks. The NWRP consists of the published Framework Plan and the development of the four Regional Water Resources Plans (RWRPs), which Irish Water is currently developing, to identify the combination of preferred approaches within and between regions to address the needs identified in the Framework Plan.
Under the Water Services Act 2013, Irish Water is required to seek the consent of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to enter into capital commitments. Irish Water must seek Ministerial consent prior to entering into any individual capital commitment of a value in excess of €20m. This is a financial control and not a project consent and consideration must also being given to the appropriate application of the Public Spending Code for evaluating, planning and managing the public investment in the project as it proceeds through its lifecycle.
It is anticipated that Irish Water will be submitting a Preliminary Business Case during 2022, including an update to the preliminary cost estimate, to inform the Government's Decision at Gate 1 - Approval in Principle to the Project. The Government’s consideration will also be informed by an independent external review of the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities also to be undertaken in 2022 having regard to Irish Water’s Preliminary Business Case including the National Water Resource Plan and its associated Regional Water Resource Plans.
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.
