23 Ean 2012, 16:35
Minister for the New Era Programme Fergus O’Dowd, TD will address the Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht on water issues and related reforms at its meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, 24th January.
As part of its investigation into the supply, storage, provision, disposal and cost of water, the Committee will also meet with Dr Edgar Mogenroth, Associate Research Professor at the ESRI.
Dr Morgenroth is a programme co-ordinator for research on transport and infrastructure and acting programme co-ordinator for environment research at the ESRI. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Trinity College Dublin and an independent member of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). He is a Fellow of the Regional Studies Association (FERSA) and served as its vice chairman and treasurer.
Committee Cathaoirleach Ciarán Lynch, TD said: “We are looking forward to our meeting with Minister O’Dowd to discuss the Government’s plans for the water sector. Last week, Minister O’Dowd and Environment Minister Phil Hogan, TD announced a six-week consultation on a suite of reforms of the water sector which the Government is planning to introduce.
Our meeting tomorrow will give us an opportunity to address a number of issues raised by the Minister, such as plans to establish a new public utility, Irish Water, to take over delivery of water services; the introduction of water charges; and the introduction of a regulator for the water sector. Committee members will have an opportunity to question the Minister on these proposed reforms and raise any issues they may have.
Committee members will have a chance to hear Dr Mogenroth’s analysis of the various issues involved in providing water services and water infrastructure. We will also have an opportunity to raise any concerns or questions we may have on the matter.
Tomorrow concludes our series of meetings on water supply and infrastructure with witnesses, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Bord Na Mona, Social Justice Ireland, the National Consumer Agency, the River Shannon Protection Alliance, the Association of County and City Councils, the County and City Managers’ Association and Engineers Ireland. These meetings with a wide number of interested parties and stakeholders will help inform the Committee’s report on the water sector which will put forward proposals to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.”
This meeting will take place on Tuesday, 24th January, in Committee Room 4, Leinster House 2000 at 2.15pm.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee Membership
Deputies:
Ciarán Lynch, Labour Party (Chairman)
Noel Coonan, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Paudie Coffey, Fine Gael
Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Fine Gael
Tony McLoughlin, Fine Gael
Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael
Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
Kevin Humphreys, Labour Party
Gerald Nash, Labour Party
Seán Kenny, Labour Party
Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Niall Collins, Fianna Fáil
Sandra McLellan, Sinn Féin
Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin
Brian Stanley, Sinn Féin
Clare Daly, Socialist Party
Catherine Murphy, Independent
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Independent
Senators:
Cáit Keane, Fine Gael
Catherine Noone, Fine Gael
Labhrás Ó’Murchú, Fianna Fáil
Ned O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil
Eamonn Coghlan, Independent