Results 481-500 of 1,043,620 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Malcolm Noonan OR speaker:Verona Murphy OR speaker:Alan Farrell) in 'Committee meetings'

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Will Mr. Gleeson give me a monetary figure for that? Will he also put it in terms of the number of litres lost from the system? Each litre comes with a treatment cost and an energy cost. Will he give me a ballpark figure of essentially how much money we are leaking into the ground because of the poor pipe network?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Is there not a way to account for the losses? Could Mr. Gleeson not even give me a ballpark figure?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Chair?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: I welcome the witnesses. They have been here previously but not regarding the C and AG's report. I have been listening in on the meeting and have one question. It is not often we ridicule people on the basis of their profitability, particularly as a utility of the State. I assume the setting up of Irish Water is essentially equivalent to that of the ESB.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: So it is in quite early stages.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: With regard to that profitability, I am concerned about one thing. It is not the same thing Deputy O'Connor referred to. With regard to the housing crisis we face, who determines the price of connections on a commercial basis or the level of the fee? We have huge issues with determining affordable housing. By no means are Irish Water's profits of such gigantic proportions as to solve the...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: Absolutely.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: If it is the regulator, I believe at some point we could bring the regulator in and have that discussion. It is significant. Given the realm we are in today, I think we should add the regulator to the work programme.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: Yes. We have to join the dots. If Irish Water is under the remit of a regulator, we need to understand who does what. I thank Mr. Gleeson. With no disrespect to the Chair, I have had a very different experience in Wexford as to how leaks are dealt with. There are problems - do not get me wrong. Huge problems with outages were experienced in early 2023. I am sure everyone will...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: Absolutely. Maybe some lessons should be taken from down in Wexford. I do not know. The other thing is that we do have an issue when it comes to the farming sector with regard to who is responsible for reading these meters. One significant issue, I have raised this before, is that farmers themselves are not able to read the meters because they are at a significant depth, they cannot see...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: It is not matched funding. It is 15% from the local authority.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: My apologies. It has nothing to do with Uisce Éireann so. That is absolutely fine.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: Clearly, then, Uisce Éireann does liaise. It gives the specification, I assume.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: Okay. The contractor, though, would be working to the specification under the directive or to Uisce Éireann's specification.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: The funding then comes from the Department directly.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: Mr. Munnelly might inform me then that this funding is sanctioned.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: I am told now it has been whittled down to seven or eight in seven counties.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: I will not take up Mr. Munnelly's time. I ask if he can get me the information, because it is extremely important.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Uisce Éireann (26 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: Clearly, this has nothing to do with Uisce Éireann and that is perfect. I say this because the contention is that people believe Irish Water is holding up planning but clearly it is not. It is important that this point is clarified. It happens that it is then the Department or the councils themselves involved in this issue. It is important we join the dots in this regard. The...