Tag Archives: Irish Water

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Right so.

Government orders review into Irish Water (BreakingNews.ie)

Previously: John’s Tyranny

Contains Impurities

“I Have Every Confidence In Him”

Incinerating Poolbeg

Meanwhile…

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Grangemore Lawns, Donaghmede, Dublin this morning.

Via Rtenonews

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A detail from Irish Water’s ‘customer’ booklet

Dan writes:

After phoning Irish Water looking for clarification on a few items on their form, the subject of allowance arose.I was told that each household is entitled to 15,000 and not 30,000 as specified in the booklet (above). I argued that the booklet reads 30,000 but I was told that I wasn’t reading it correctly, and that it might be badly worded but that if I read it properly, I would see that it says the household is entitled to 15,000. If it’s just a typo, than it seems a pretty big one.”

Anyone?

Meanwhile…

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We asked you to tell us what YOU wanted to know about Irish Water (under the Freedom of Information Act).

You answered in your dozens.

After much brooding and deliberation/tay-slurping…

The matter which excited most curiosity (Fluffy Biscuits, Clampers, MacGafraidh, Jimmythehead) was the circumstances in which GMC/Sierra, of the Denis O’Brien owned SiteServ group, came to obtain two regional contracts for the management of the installation of water meters. We have framed a request for copies of these and other regional contracts awarded, documentation submitted by both successful and unsuccessful bidders in the tender process leading up to same, as well as records of payments requested and made under the contracts.

Another area of concern (Greylines, GavD) was that of use and protection of private data submitted by consumers to Irish Water, and in particular whether or not this would be retained in the State. We have framed a further request with a view to finding out as much as we can about this process.

Finally, in view of the fact that Irish Water is subject to the supervision of the Commission for Energy Regulation, we agreed with commenter Mike that an overview of documentation submitted to the Commissioner, and the Commissioner’s response, might yield some interesting information. This request includes, but is not confined to, salary and benefit schemes for Irish Water staff.

The suggestion by ‘Edalicious’ that we find out when Irish Water will be implementing the “nationwide system of pipes to plumb Ribena directly into houses” will be forwarded at a later date.

We will now request access to the following records:

(i) The regional contracts entered into between Irish Water and GMC Sierra, J Murphy and Sons Limited and Coffey Northumbrian Limited respectively for the management of the installation of water meters in six regions throughout Ireland, together with the preceding invitation to tender in respect of the said contracts and all documentation received from both successful and unsuccessful parties pursuant to same, all payment invoices submitted by GMC Sierra, J Murphy and Sons Limited and Coffey Northumbrian Limited for payment pursuant to the said contracts, together with copies of all records of payments made to same to date.

(ii) All plans, guidelines, proposals, protocols and contracts relating to the compilation, analysis, protection and storage of private customer data (names, addresses, family composition and PPS numbers) submitted by customers to Irish Water, including without prejudice to the foregoing any plans, guidelines, proposals, protocols and contracts relating to the compilation, analysis, protection and storage of such data by persons (including companies) situate outside the State.

(iii) All plans, proposals and schemes submitted by Irish Water to the Regulator and/or Commission for Energy Regulation, together with responses received from the Regulator/Commission in relation to same, including, without prejudice to the foregoing, details of all employee salary and benefit schemes so submitted.

We will post the findings from Irish Water as we get them

Thanks all.

Previously: Win Your Freedom

Contains Impurities: The Irish Water Timeline

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“I have received correspondence from Ervia, the parent company for Irish Water and Bord Gáis Networks, which reveals that 545 staff shared €3.7m in bonuses in 2013 but there has been a massive jump in bonuses paid out this year.So far in 2014 Ervia has paid €5.1m in bonuses to 940 staff. Are we really expected to believe that this does not include any bonuses being paid to staff at Irish Water? The Taoiseach told the Dáil on October 7th that “no bonuses have been paid to anyone in Irish Water”. Does he stand over that statement today?”

Sean Fleming, Fianna Fail TD

Has Taoiseach Misled The Dail (Fianna Fail)

Previously: “I’m Not Telling Porkies’

Contains Impurities: The Irish Water Timeline

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Irish Water’s John Tierney

Irish Water managing director John Tierney was labelled a “gobshite” at last night’s weekly Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting in Leinster House, which was attended by the Taoiseach.
Kildare North TD Anthony Lawlor made the comments during a heated discussion on water charges, which saw around a dozen TDs criticise the new utility. Tipperary North TD Noel Coonan said he was not going to be associated with such language.

Fine Gael TDs complained at the meeting they were getting a generic response from Irish Water when they forwarded concerns from their constituents. “It has the potential to do us a lot of damage, like the medical cards,” a party TD said.

You may recall that Mr Tierney, a former Dublin City Manager, invoked a veto to overrule a Dublin City Council vote 52-50 against the sale of its waste-collection services to Greyhound.

And was forced to apologise after Dublin City Council was accused of mismanaging public funds, following an official audit of the €80million spent on the Poolbeg incinerator project.

Good times.

Fine Gael TD labels Irish Water boss ‘gob*****’ during heated party meeting (Independent.ie)

Previously: “I Have Every Confidence In John Tierney’

Chief Running Water

(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)

Meanwhile…

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Clanbrassil Street, Dublin this morning.

Thanks Alex Tease

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Oh it’s fupping on.

Or is it?

Darragh Doyle  writes:

“Almost in direct contradiction to what “they” said here and here. Customer service rep giving out wrong information?”

Anyone?

Update:

Legal Coffee Drinker writes:

“I believe I mentioned in my earlier post (‘No contract No Consent’?), under Section 21 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 (read in conjunction with the definition of ‘customer’ in Section 2 of the same Act) liability for water charges rests on the ‘occupier’ of the premises in respect of which the charges have been levied.

“Where the owner of premises has let premises under a tenancy, he is no longer the ‘occupier’ of that premises for the duration of that tenancy. This is because the essence of a tenancy is that the tenant has exclusive occupation of the premises for the duration of the tenancy, with the landlord no longer having the right to occupy it – or even enter it without the permission of the tenant – during that period.”

In the circumstances, there is no possibility that a landlord could be deemed an ‘occupier’ of premises for the purposes of liability for water charges in respect of any period while a tenancy of that premises is ongoing.

What may have caused confusion is that Section 21(5) provides that the ‘owner’ of premises is deemed to be the occupier of the premises until they prove otherwise. All a landlord has to do is produce a tenancy agreement to remove any contention that they are liabie for water charges for the duration of that agreement, placing this liability for such charges exclusively on the tenant.”

UPDATE: