Mayor of Clare Councillor Pat Hayes has said that the proposed establishment of Irish Water by the Government has raised more questions than it has provided answers about the transfer of Clare’s water and wastewater assets from Clare Local Authorities to the independent State owned subsidiary.
Mayor Hayes said the Government had so far “failed” to convince ratepayers of the benefits of such a move, in terms of the level and quality of service that will be provided. He added that serious questions remained over the implications of the transfer for local authority staff.
“If Clare’s water and wastewater infrastructure is transferred to Irish Water it is imperative that the funding invested by Clare ratepayers to develop this asset is returned to the County,” stated Mayor Hayes.
He explained: “Over the years, Clare Local Authorities has made considerable investments in land acquisitions and has taken out loans to facilitate the development and maintenance of Clare’s water and wastewater infrastructure. It is imperative that any expenditure which has been invested by Clare County Council from its own resources in the creation of this considerable infrastructural asset is reimbursed. In addition, the Government must clarify whether Irish Water will assume responsibility for the repayment of any outstanding loans.”
Mayor Hayes noted that the Government’s “drip feeding of information” about the transfer of the country’s water services functions from local authorities to Irish Water had “contributed to considerable misinformation being fed into the public domain about the proposed move.”
“Neither I nor my colleagues at Clare County Council are convinced that Irish Water will provide the same quality of service as provided by Clare Local Authorities. During the adverse weather conditions of 2009 and 2010, Council staff worked around The clock to ensure that disruptions to water services were minimised. We have yet to receive a guarantee from the Government that this same level of service will be delivered to the people of Clare. Furthermore, significant questions exist over what will happen to wastewater scheme contracts that already have been awarded and how they will be managed under the proposed transfer,” he said.
Mayor Hayes said that there also was a serious concern among those employed in the Council’s water services section about future staffing arrangements under the proposed new body.
“No assurances have yet been given to Local Authority staff regarding the implications of the proposed move and what role, if any, they will have to play in Irish Water’s future operations. The Government has indicated that the establishment of Irish Water will spawn 2,000 long-term construction jobs but has yet to reveal how thousands of other jobs around the country’s 34 Local Authorities will be affected,” the Mayor concluded.
Mayor Hayes said the Government had so far “failed” to convince ratepayers of the benefits of such a move, in terms of the level and quality of service that will be provided. He added that serious questions remained over the implications of the transfer for local authority staff.
“If Clare’s water and wastewater infrastructure is transferred to Irish Water it is imperative that the funding invested by Clare ratepayers to develop this asset is returned to the County,” stated Mayor Hayes.
He explained: “Over the years, Clare Local Authorities has made considerable investments in land acquisitions and has taken out loans to facilitate the development and maintenance of Clare’s water and wastewater infrastructure. It is imperative that any expenditure which has been invested by Clare County Council from its own resources in the creation of this considerable infrastructural asset is reimbursed. In addition, the Government must clarify whether Irish Water will assume responsibility for the repayment of any outstanding loans.”
Mayor Hayes noted that the Government’s “drip feeding of information” about the transfer of the country’s water services functions from local authorities to Irish Water had “contributed to considerable misinformation being fed into the public domain about the proposed move.”
“Neither I nor my colleagues at Clare County Council are convinced that Irish Water will provide the same quality of service as provided by Clare Local Authorities. During the adverse weather conditions of 2009 and 2010, Council staff worked around The clock to ensure that disruptions to water services were minimised. We have yet to receive a guarantee from the Government that this same level of service will be delivered to the people of Clare. Furthermore, significant questions exist over what will happen to wastewater scheme contracts that already have been awarded and how they will be managed under the proposed transfer,” he said.
Mayor Hayes said that there also was a serious concern among those employed in the Council’s water services section about future staffing arrangements under the proposed new body.
“No assurances have yet been given to Local Authority staff regarding the implications of the proposed move and what role, if any, they will have to play in Irish Water’s future operations. The Government has indicated that the establishment of Irish Water will spawn 2,000 long-term construction jobs but has yet to reveal how thousands of other jobs around the country’s 34 Local Authorities will be affected,” the Mayor concluded.
