Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 November 2010
212 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the establishment of a single water authority for the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44673/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvestment priorities in water services are set out under the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012 which I published in April 2010 following a comprehensive assessment of needs by water services authorities and my Department. The scope and format of the Programme for 2010 to 2012 is designed better to reflect ongoing environmental and economic priorities, to maximise the return on public funds being invested in the sector, to ensure that the Programme is realistic in its level of ambition and that it clearly sets out investment priorities on a river basin basis.
The provision of water services is a function of the 34 city and county councils which are designated as water services authorities by the Water Services Act 2007.
In 2009, the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes recommended that, in line with the EU strategy of river basin planning, the administrative structure for water services should follow that approach and move away from a city/county basis. The Group also recommended that existing administrative structures should be reduced from 34 local authorities and replaced with one national authority with an ability to plan and manage on the basis of river basins.
The Local Government Efficiency Review Group Report, published earlier this year, recommended the development of an enhanced regional office approach at river basin level for, inter alia, water services infrastructure delivery and implementation of the River Basin Management Plans. Work has commenced in my Department on implementing this specific recommendation.
Transferring responsibility for the provision of water services from 34 authorities to a single national authority would be a very substantial undertaking in terms of administrative restructuring and legislative reform. The priority at this stage is ensuring that the structures in place and those that will evolve on foot of the recommendations of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group Report can both deliver key water services infrastructure and support the implementation of river basin management planning.
The Government's National Recovery Plan 2011-2014, published yesterday includes a commitment to establish an independent water regulator for the sector as part of the introduction of domestic water metering.
