Tag Archives: Irish Water

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Hmmm.

Also: Um.

IN FULL: Data Protection Notice (IrishWater)

Thanks Annie West

Update:

Alan writes:

You will notice from here that Irish Water is NOT authorised to use PPS numbers. From the FAQ’s:

Q9. What do I do if someone who is not entitled to use the PPS Number asks me for it?
A9. If you believe that a person asking for your PPS Number is not entitled to do so, do not give them your number until you have contacted Client Identity Services of the Department of Social Protection, Social Wefare Services, Shannon Lodge, Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim (Telephone 01-7043281) for advice. You can also email Client Identity Services at cis@welfare.ie.

I have emailed CIS and Irish Water about it this evening. You will notice on the link: “The legislation governing the allocation and use of the PPS Number is contained in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007 and the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2010. Only Specified Bodies named in the above Social Welfare Acts can use the PPS Number.”

I could be wrong, but I don’t believe that any Social Welfare act was passed this year to allow Irish Water use PPS numbers.

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Head of Communications and corporate services at Irish Water, Elizabeth Arnett spoke to Seán O’Rourke earlier, after reporter Brian O’Connell told how residents of Limerick’s north side have been informed that they may not be able to drink their tap water for up to a year.

Hang on, fourteen years?

Pic: RTÉ

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Martina Fitzgerald’s report on this evening’s Six One News overestimated the cost of a bath and shower by a factor of almost 100. €20 for a bath and €12 for a shower.

RTÉ: Not having a great Summer in fairness.

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This morning.

Audrey Clancy writes:

“Garda helping Bord Uisce, sick!! Protester gone in ambulance, hit by digger in his Wheelchair!! Help needed urgently Tonglegee Drive Edenmore [Raheny, Dublin]..”

Via DublinSaysNo

Thanks Spaghetti Hoop

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Economist Colm McCarthy, Dr Edgar Morgenrath, of the ESRI, and Elizabeth Arnett, head of communications at Irish Water. Ms Arnett is the former head of project communications at consultancy firm, RPS, which advised Dublin City Council on the Poolbeg incinerator project when managing director of Irish Water John Tierney was Dublin City Manager

Last night, the first half of RTÉ’s Prime Time focused on Irish Water. In an initial report by Barry Cummins, the matter of last summer’s deal made between the Government and the 35 local authorities – the 12-year Service Level Agreements – was discussed.

The agreements essentially mean that the pre-existing structures and staff in relation to the provision of water will remain in place for 12 years before transferring into Irish Water.

This is what some of the contributors had to say:

Colm McCarthy: “There had to be some transitional arrangement but 12 years seems like an awful long time and, to the degree, that the intention of having a single water authority was to economise on costs, having 12-year service agreements with all the existing operators means there won’t be any savings for 12 years.”

Dr Edgar Morgenrath: “Personally, I would not have put those service level agreements into legislation. That’s going to be very difficult if you find that you want to change that, to do so. I think that could have been done on a contractual basis. And if Irish Water were simply just an amalgamation of the water services of the 34 local authorities, as they existed previously, then there wouldn’t be any efficiency gains and that would certainly be a wasted opportunity.”

Elizabeth Arnett: “We can’t underestimate the scale of the transformation programme that we’re undertaking. The service level agreement provides mechanisms in order to make the sorts of changes that we need to see over those 12 years, so it’s not a steady state for 12 years.”

Related: Reform of quangos by politicians just not happening (Colm McCarthy, Sunday Independent, December 8, 2013)

Spiralling costs at Irish Water flagged last year (Daniel McConnell and Paul Melia, Irish Independent, February 14, 2014)

Thicker Than Uisce

Watch back here

Meanwhile…

 

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[A section of a letter from the Office of the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan to Mick Murphy, a Green Party candidate for Cork South West]

You may recall a post from last  about how Mick Murphy, a Green Party candidate for Cork South West, lodged a complaint with the European Commission about the establishment of Irish Water. It has now been sent to the European Parliament.

Further to this, it’s emerged Mr Murphy has made previous complaints about Irish Water – this time to the Office of the Ombudsman.

On January 31, 2014, Mr Murphy made joint and separate complaints to the Office of the Ombudsman against the Environment Minister Phil Hogan, his department and against Irish Water.

He lodged his complaints under five headings:

1. The transfer of strategic infrastructure that was heavily funded by EU funding to a monopoly in breach of EU funding and competition law directives that prevent such funding being used for the ‘establishment of or support of a monopoly’.

2.  Loss to Mr Murphy under the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act.

3.  Loss to Mr Murphy under contract law.

4.  Loss to Mr Murphy over having to pay a premium for water to pay for the unnecessary/ excess staff that were transferred from local authorities.

5.  Social justice grounds in that there was no provision in the establishment of Irish Water by the Government for the elderly poor who would be unable to pay the water charges.

The Ombudsman wrote to Mr Murphy on February 18 telling him that, before the Office of the Ombudsman could deal with his complaint, it would be necessary for Mr Murphy to first send his complaints to Minister Hogan and Irish Water.

Mr Murphy subsequently made formal complaints to the minister and Irish Water.

Irish Water responded to Mr Murphy on March 14 but Mr Murphy was unhappy with the answers and he complained to the Ombudsman about Irish Water again on March 25.

The Ombudsman replied to Mr Murphy’s complaint on April 7, saying Irish Water had been placed outside the remit of the Ombudsman and therefore could not be investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman.

On March 25, Mr Murphy received a reply from Minister Hogan in relation to his complaint to the Ombudsman.

Mr Murphy says: “In this reply the only issue I raised which was dealt with satisfactorily was the ‘social justice’ issue in that the minister had accepted that: ‘Restriction of supply will only be implemented where all other efforts to secure payment have failed and it is clear that there are no affordability issues’.”

Mr Murphy adds: “Unfortunately this is the only public record of the Minister or his agents conceding such a fact, and public announcements since, and before, this letter seem to revert to the elderly, poor and infirm facing the prospect of a reduction of water pressure that would be barely enough to sustain life.”

On April 9, Mr Murphy wrote to the Ombudsman complaining about the actions of Minister Hogan and on April 17, the Ombudsman replied saying: ‘As Irish Water is not within the remit of the Ombudsman, the functions of the Minister of Environment are also considered to be outside the remit of the Ombudsman.’

Mr Murphy wrote again to the Ombudsman, pointing out that Section 5 (3) of the Ombudsman’s Act allows a Government minister to prevent an investigation of his or her office, or they can demand for an investigation to stop once they do so in writing, and set out in writing the full reasons for the request.

Mr Murphy has since asked the Office of the Ombudsman if Minister Hogan sought to block an investigation into his office.

Previously: Once More Unto The Breach

Thicker Than Uisce

(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)