Future Funding of Domestic Water Services Committee to discuss public engagement and transparency

Chairman of the Committee Pádraig Ó Céidigh said: “The Committee will focus on public engagement and transparency which were key issues addressed in the report of the Expert Commission.

“The Expert Commission said that the consumer’s voice must be put at the heart of discussion and decision-making on the delivery of water services in Ireland and recommended that over time the role of the Public Water Forum be further developed. It also recommended that Irish Water renew its efforts to develop a positive engagement with consumers and put in place further initiatives to engage consumers in a positive and proactive way at the national, regional, and local level and commit to the provision of extensive open-access data, for research purposes and so that consumers can easily monitor and manage consumption. The Expert Commission also said that an EPA administered research budget on water management and conservation is necessary and should be put in place.

“These issues will be examined and will be more fully addressed by the Committee as part of our deliberations when we meet with the Public Water Forum tomorrow.”

The Joint Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services will meet in Committee Room 4, at 1.30pm on Wednesday, 1 February 2017. Committee proceedings can be viewed live here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.