Former minister will not give his PPS number to Irish Water

Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea will not be submitting his PPS number to Irish Water because of its response to queries he made, he has told the Dáil.

He told Minister for Environment Alan Kelly: "I have received no coherent explanation from Irish Water as to why I, as a citizen, should submit my PPS number, and I want to tell you, Minister, I have absolutely no intention of doing so.''

Mr O’Dea was speaking during a debate on a Fianna Fáil Private Member’s motion calling for a review of Irish Water and a commitment that it would not be privatised.

Party spokesman on the environment Barry Cowen said the problem was the company was allowed to drift like a runaway train.

Mr Kelly acknowledged the timetable set out for the establishment of Irish Water was “unrealistic, squeezing many years of work into a condensed period of months”. There had to be a “seismic shift” in how the new authority deals with the public.

Standards

While 22,181 people were on boil-water notices, almost one million people’s water supply was at risk of failing required standards.

He pledged that by Christmas boil-water notices would be removed for the first time in 12 years in parts of Roscommon.

He defended the use of water meters as the best way to control water usage, and said it could reduce usage by 10-15 per cent.

Mr Kelly also said the first actions of the new Irish Water board should be to “review the application and operation” of Irish Water’s pay model, “particularly in the start-up phase”.

It was his view that reports of a €188 charge for a second call-out if a customer’s first leak was fixed free was “too expensive” but he said it had not been finalised. He stressed that by law Irish Water could not be privatised.

Public mind

He said the Government “will reposition Irish Water in the public mind”.

Earlier, Taoiseach Enda Kenny expressed confidence in Irish Water managing director John Tierney.“I have every confidence that John Tierney can do his job, every confidence.’’

Independent TD Mick Wallace said: “Taoiseach, your 100 per cent confidence in John Tierney reminds me of your 100 per cent confidence in Mr [Alan] Shatter.’’

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin accused Mr Kenny of undermining Mr Tierney in “a shabby and sleeveen way’’. He asked Mr Kenny if any member of the Government had approached the chairperson of Irish Water with a view to Mr Tierney’s position.

“I can answer truthfully…to my knowledge, Deputy Martin, the answer to that question is no,’’ the Taoiseach said.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said the Taoiseach had told him earlier this month that no bonus would be paid to the staff of Irish Water.