My Department carried out a value for money review of all water services in 2010 which is available on the Department’s website at www.environ.ie.
The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from the 34 water services authorities to Irish Water. From 1 January 2014, Irish Water assumed responsibility for the delivery of water services, including wastewater services.
Section 14 of the Act provides that I, as Minister, may from time to time designate the transfer of rights and liabilities from a water services authority to Irish Water. In this regard, 642 Design-Build-Operate and capital project contracts, including those relating to wastewater were transferred to Irish Water by Ministerial Order on 20 February 2014. A further 328 such contracts relating were transferred in a second Ministerial Order signed in April 2014. The Orders were prepared in consultation with Irish Water and the local authorities and all contracts have been verified by both Irish Water and by the relevant local authority as being in order for transfer.
The contracts to transfer are set out in the schedules to the Orders. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 (Transfer of other liabilities) Order 2014 and the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 (Transfer of other liabilities) Order (No. 2) 2014 are both available in the Oireachtas Library.