Freedom of Information Act Publication Scheme

Transcription

1 Freedom of Information Act 2014 Publication Scheme Dated 1 July 2016

2 Introduction Irish Water is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (the FOI Act ). This Publication Scheme for Q has been prepared and published in accordance with the requirements of Section 8 of the FOI Act. The purpose of the Publication Scheme is to facilitate access to records held by Irish Water by outlining the structure of Irish Water, including a description of the functions, powers, duties and services it provides to the public, the classes of records held, and guidelines on how to make a request for information under the FOI Act. The Publication Scheme will provide information under the following six headings:- A. Information about Irish Water B. Services Provided (or to be Provided) to the Public by Irish Water C. Decision Making Process for Major Policy Proposals D. Financial Information E. Procurement F. FOI Disclosure Log and Other Information to be Published Routinely Irish Water s previous Publication Schemes are available on its website. 2 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

3 A. Information about Irish Water Establishment of the Organisation Irish Water/Uisce Éireann is established under the Water Services Acts, 2013 to It is Ireland s national water utility with overall responsibility for the delivery of public drinking water to and removal of wastewater from homes and businesses. The legislation under which Irish Water operates is available at: Irish Water has taken on all functions conferred on water services authorities by the Water Services Act 2007 other than an excluded provision under the Water Services (No. 2) Act The functions include: a) the abstraction, impoundment, treatment, purchase or supply of water for drinking or any other purpose; b) the provision, operation or maintenance of sewers and wastewater collection and treatment facilities; c) the construction or maintenance, or arrangement for the construction and maintenance of, waterworks or wastewater works; d) the undertaking of such work as is necessary to provide such waterworks or wastewater works as may be required; e) purchasing or obtaining premises or wayleaves; f) the installation and maintenance of meters, or otherwise measuring the volume or rate of flow of water supplies or discharges to wastewater works; g) monitoring the quality of water supplies at any point or points; h) monitoring the quality of wastewater at any point or points; i) treatment, reuse or disposal of by-products arising from the treatment of water or wastewater; j) entering into an agreement with any person in relation to or for the provision of, whether by that person or jointly with that person, water services; k) entering into an agreement or arrangement with any person for the provision of water services to that person, including in relation to assigning capacity in a waterworks or reserving; l) capacity in a wastewater works for the provision of water services to that person; m) authorising, controlling, monitoring or supervising the provision of water services by any other person; n) carrying out all such surveys, research, analysis, monitoring or undertaking any other action which may be necessary for the purposes of these function; o) the provision of guidance, advice or information to other persons in relation to water services; 3 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

4 p) entering into such contracts or other arrangements as it considers necessary or expedient for the use, purchase, or lease of any buildings, premises, materials, services, machinery or other apparatus; or q) taking waterworks or wastewater works provided by other persons in charge. An excluded provision means: a) the functions listed above insofar as they relate to the provision, operation or maintenance of storm water sewers; b) Individual Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems; or c) Rural Water Services including, group water schemes, group sewerage schemes and private supplies. Key Directives and Regulations Impacting Water Operations in Ireland The European Commission sets environmental policy and compliance standards for water and wastewater management across the EU. It does this to safeguard quality and to ensure the sustainability of water and environmental resources. The European Commission achieves this via policy Directives, the most important of which are: The Drinking Water Directive 98/83/EC; The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive - 91/271/EEC; and The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. The Drinking Water Directive sets the standard of water for human consumption across member states. Its objective is to protect human health from the effects of contamination, by ensuring that drinking water provided is clean and fit for human consumption. The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive sets the standard for the protection of the water environment from the adverse impacts of the release of treated and untreated sewage and other industrial discharges. The Water Framework Directive sets out the standard in relation to the protection and improvement of the overall water environment. Its objective is to ensure that member states deliver plans to arrest and reverse pollution of water resources and to achieve good water quality status. These Directives are transposed into Irish Law through statutes and regulations. The primary regulations (the Drinking Water Regulations SI.122 of 2014 and the Wastewater Treatment Regulations SI.254 of 2001), set out the standards that are to be met for the country to be in compliance with the Directives. It is the role of the Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA ), as the environmental regulator for water and wastewater services, to monitor and enforce the standards set in the regulations to protect consumers and to ensure the implementation of the Directives. 4 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

5 Regarding the Drinking Water Directive, the EPA monitors and reports on drinking water quality. Each year the EPA produces a Remedial Action List of the water supplies where, as regulator, it has identified that specific actions are needed to be taken to manage risks to consumers. Regarding wastewater regulations, the EPA licences and certifies treatment plants (dependent on their size) for the treatment of wastewater. Irish Water supplies drinking water to almost 82% of the population (3.3m people) served by the public distribution network, with the remainder supplied by group water schemes and private wells. This is delivered through some 1,000 separate water supply areas (public water supply zones) and involves the abstraction, treatment and delivery of 1,670 million litres of drinking water each day. Irish Water collects wastewater from over 1,000 separate communities connected to the public wastewater network (wastewater zones known as agglomerations ) and treats 1,600 million litres of wastewater daily, before it discharges it back into our rivers, harbours and coastal areas. Governance/Management Arrangements Ervia (formerly known as Bord Gáis Éireann) is a commercial semi-state company 100% Government owned with responsibility for the delivery of gas and water infrastructure and services in Ireland. Irish Water is a subsidiary of Ervia. The Board of Ervia currently consists of the CEO and ten non-executive members who are appointed by the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. For further information please refer to: The Memorandum and Articles of Association of Irish Water provide one Class A (voting) share to Ervia and one Class B (non-voting) share each to the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government and to the Minister for Finance. The Memorandum and Articles of Association of Irish Water are available at: 5 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

6 Executive Board Irish Water has an Executive Board comprising four members. The current members: 1. Michael McNicholas (Ervia Group CEO) (Chairman); 2. Brendan Murphy (Ervia); 3. Michael O Sullivan (Ervia); and 4. Jerry Grant (Irish Water MD). Management Structure Irish Water s management structure is set out below: Managing Director Asset Management Capital Delivery Operations & Maintenance Customer Operations Finance Human Resources Head of Corporate Affairs & Environmental Regulation Chief Technical Officer Head of Legal Services 6 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

7 The Water Services Strategic Plan Irish Water has published a Water Services Strategic Plan ( WSSP ) which was approved by Government in October The document addresses six key themes: 1. Customer service; 2. Clean safe drinking water; 3. Effective management of wastewater; 4. Protect and enhance the environment; 5. Supporting social and economic growth; and 6. Investing in our future. The WSSP was developed following an initial consultation with statutory bodies and the public in mid-2014 and underwent a Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA ) and an Appropriate Assessment ( AA ). Irish Water invited submissions on the Draft WSSP together with the SEA Environmental Report and Natura Impact Statement (AA process) from the 19th February to the 17th April, The WSSP is available at: Delivering on the WSSP over the next 25 years will require an unprecedented transformation in how the industry operates and increased levels of investment. The WSSP sets out the challenges we face as a country in relation to the provision of water services and identifies strategic national priorities. It includes Irish Water s short, medium and long term objectives and identifies strategies to achieve these objectives. The WSSP was approved by the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in October The WSSP will be followed by the publication of a series of Tier 2 Implementation Plans e.g. National Water Resources Plan, National Sludge Management Plans, Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation Strategy. Annual Report & Audited Financial Statements Irish Water s first Annual Report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2014 were published in June They are available at: 7 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

8 Irish Water s Capital Investment Plan Irish Water has also published its Capital Investment Plan to the end of This is available at: Investment is prioritised where it can deliver the most urgently needed improvements in drinking water quality, leakage, water availability, wastewater compliance, efficiencies and customer service. It is proposed to deliver/progress over 380 projects under the Capital Investment Plan. Business Plan Transforming Water Services in Ireland to 2021 In October 2015, Irish Water published its Business Plan Transforming Water Services in Ireland to 2021 and it is available at: The Business Plan has set out nine key deliverables: 1. Establish the highest health and safety standards; 2. Implement a 5.5bn capital investment programme; 3. Deliver capital efficiency savings of 500m; 4. Evolve Irish Water into a high performing utility; 5. Transform the water services operating model; 6. Deliver operating cost savings of 1.1bn; 7. Achieve best practice customer service; 8. Put Irish Water on a solid commercial footing; and 9. Support economic growth in line with economic and spatial planning policy. 8 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

9 Organisation Structure Irish Water s organisation structure is set out in the chart below: 9 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

10 Pay/Grading Structures Pay structures and the number of staff at each grade as at 31/03/2016 are set out below: Irish Water Staff Pay Band Number of Staff Less than 30, ,000 39, ,000 49, ,000 59, ,000 69, ,000 79, ,000 89, ,000 99, , , , ,999 9 Greater than 150,000 1 Metering Programme Staff Pay Band Number of Staff Less than 30, ,000 39, ,000 49, ,000 59, ,000-69, ,000 79, ,000 89, ,000 99, , , , ,999 0 Greater than 150, Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

11 Contact Details You can contact Irish Water by using the following details: Correspondence address: P.O. Box 6000, Dublin 1, Ireland Telephone: Fax: Customer Contact Centre: Lo Call or Emergency Service: Lo Call or Website: Headquarters Irish Water s Headquarters are located at Colvill House, Talbot Street, Dublin 1, Ireland. Regional Offices Irish Water also has eight regional offices which are located in: Dublin City (Eastern/Midlands region) Mullingar (Eastern/Midlands region) Castlebar (Connaught/Ulster region) Cavan Town (Connaught/Ulster region) Donegal Town (Connaught/Ulster region) Kilkenny City (Southern region) Limerick City (Southern region) Mallow (Southern region) 11 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

12 Service Level Agreements/Memoranda of Understanding Irish Water has Service Level Agreements with the 31 City and County Councils to provide certain services to Irish Water with respect to the Water Services functions and to provide for the relationship between Irish Water and each local authority with respect to such services. These Service Level Agreements are provided for in the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, and enables local authority staff to continue to provide local operations under Irish Water supervision and management and using Irish Water systems and processes. A copy of the template Service Level Agreement entered into between Irish Water and the City and County Councils has been published by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. This is available at: Irish Water also has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Water Services Training Group ( WSTG ) whereby Irish Water will continue to fund through WSTG the training of staff employed within the water services sections of local authorities working under the Service Level Agreement with Irish Water in each of the years 2015 and 2016 on the basis of an approved list of courses. Customer Charter & Codes of Practice Irish Water engages with its customers under a number of Customer Charters and Codes of Practice approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation (the CER ). These Customer Charters and Codes of Practice are available at: The Customer Charters and Codes of Practice include: Domestic Customer Charter; Domestic Customer Communications Code of Practice; Domestic Metering Code of Practice; Domestic Billing Code of Practice; Domestic Vulnerable Customer Code of Practice; Domestic Network Operations Code of Practice; Domestic Complaint Handling Code of Practice; and Business Customer Codes of Practice. 12 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

13 B. Services Provided (or to be Provided) to the Public Irish Water, as the national water utility, has responsibility for the delivery of water and wastewater services to homes and businesses across Ireland and is responsible for strategic national water infrastructure and services. Irish Water is continuing to grow into a high-performance organisation based both centrally in Dublin and across our three regions. At the beginning of 2015, 121 drinking water treatment plants, supplying 940,000 people, required major upgrading. Up to 49% of all drinking water was being lost. 23,000 people were on Boil Water notices and at least 180,000 properties were at risk of not meeting EU guidelines on maximum levels of lead in drinking water. Untreated sewage is being discharged into rivers and seas at 45 locations across Ireland and the European Commission is pursuing the country for persistent failure to meet European Directive standards. Over two-thirds of the sewer network used to transport wastewater needs major repair. There is also a serious lack of spare capacity for service resilience and social and economic development (156 wastewater treatment plants are currently undersized, for example). It is estimated that up to 13 billion is needed to bring the asset base to a consistent good standard of quality and capacity. Irish Water was established as a single utility to address these challenges and deliver a centralised, national and long-term approach to the planning and development of Ireland s water services. Purpose of Irish Water The purpose of Irish Water is to safeguard water as a precious natural resource and to deliver water services in a way that protects the environment and meets the needs of all citizens and industry now and in the future. Capital Investment Much has been achieved in 2014 and 2015, and planning is underway for significant changes in all areas of water services in line with Irish Water s strategic plans which are detailed herein. Irish Water invested 340 million in improving water and wastewater services in 2014 and over 363 million during Irish Water plans to spend 532 million on water services in Capital investment in the region of 700 million per year is required for a sustained period of several decades to address the acknowledged deficiencies in the country s water infrastructure and the most critical works are being prioritised. Delivery of the works will involve a 5.5bn investment in capital spending on drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and new infrastructure up to Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

14 New Connections For new connections to the public water distribution and wastewater collections networks Irish Water s current charges are the equivalent of the water and wastewater portion of the Development Levies and Connection Fees that were previously included by Local Authorities in their levies/fees structures up until 31 December These can be accessed by entering the local authority name at: Water Charges Plan Irish Water supplies drinking water to customers to the public distribution network and collects wastewater from customers connected to the public sewer collection system. Irish Water s charges for such services are set out in the Water Charges Plan and Domestic Terms and Conditions approved by the CER and are available at: For business (non-domestic) customers, Irish Water continues to apply the charges that were in place in each local authority area up until 31 st December These can be accessed by entering the local authority name at: First Fix Scheme In accordance with the Government s announcement in May 2014 that 51 million is allocated to a First Fix Scheme (the Scheme ), Irish Water is operating the Scheme to address the leakage on the customer supply pipes. The main objective of the Scheme is to assist in water conservation. Customers who qualify under the Scheme will have their first leak fixed free of charge. Under the Scheme, Irish Water will offer a free fix where the leak is identified on the External Supply Pipe between the point of entry to the house and the property boundary. The Scheme will not apply to leaks within a house. Irish Water will use metering data to identify where the most significant leaks are located. Meters will trigger a Constant Flow Alarm (CFA) when a constant flow of 6 litres per hour continuously over a 48 hour period is detected. All customers whether they are registered or not with Irish Water will receive an Advice Letter from Irish Water if they have a leak alarm at their property. When the customer contacts Irish Water to schedule a leak investigation appointment, Irish Water will ensure that the customer has 14 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

15 registered. If they have not done so then Irish Water will register the customer prior to organising a scheduled visit to investigate the leak. The main qualifying criteria for receiving a fix under the Scheme: the customer is a domestic customer; the customer is registered with Irish Water; the customer has a meter installed; a leak is located on the External Supply Pipe; the customer has an Internal Stop Valve (ISV); the customer is not a mixed use customer; the customer is not supplied by a backyard shared service; the customer is the owner or has the consent of the owner for the repair works; and however the Leak Investigation can be carried out with the tenant or occupier. 15 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

16 C. Decision Making Process for Major Policy Proposals Policy Proposals All major policy proposals for Irish Water are subject to the approval of the CER who undertakes public consultation exercises before making a decision to approve with or without amendments. All Irish Water submissions are published on the CER website ( Public Consultations Irish Water will consult and engage with the recently established Public Water Forum under a Memoranda of Understanding which is currently being developed. Irish Water also consults with stakeholders and undertakes public consultations, both statutory and non-statutory, to provide information on proposed projects and to seek the views of interested parties on what they consider should be considered by Irish Water in developing the solution. In accordance with legislation, Irish Water also carries out Strategic Environmental Assessments ( SEA ), Appropriate Assessments ( AA ) and Environmental Impact Assessments ( EIA ) on projects that are above the statutory thresholds in the relevant regulations. Irish Water is also required to apply for planning permission in respect of development under the Planning and Development Regulations either to the Planning Authority for the area in which the development is to take place or to An Bord Pleanála for Strategic Infrastructure as defined in the Regulations. Further information on public consultations carried out by Irish Water is available at: Reports on the Operation of Irish Water Reports on the operation of public services provided by Irish Water include the EPA Drinking Water Report 2014 available at: and the EPA Urban Wastewater Treatment in 2014 Report available at: CER will also carry out a report on Irish Water s performance during This is expected to be published during the course of 2016 and a link will be provided once available. The CER has published three Response and Decision Papers and a summary Decision Paper relating to the Water Charges Plan for the period 01 October December These papers which 16 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

17 address the responses received to the CER Water Charges Plan Consultation and detail the decisions made by the CER of the responses are available at: Irish Water s first Annual Report together with the audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2014 was published in June It is available at: Reward Structure A new market based reward structure was agreed and implemented in Bord Gáis Éireann (now Ervia) in 2013, following negotiations, under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission (the LRC ), with the Group of Unions (GOU) and a ballot of all staff. The new structure represented a fundamental change for all employees, a move away from a traditional time served increment-based model to a market and performance based model and included considerable cost savings. The most significant changes included: Requirement for all pay ranges to be benchmarked externally; End of automatic pay progression to a model based on performance and market position; End of emphasis on fixed pay in favour of an element of pay at risk; Robust performance management for all employees; A pay freeze until The pay model will apply in Irish Water from The pay model provides for an element of performance related pay which is common in private companies and other commercial semi state companies in Ireland. An individual s performance related pay is based on three key elements: the performance of Ervia as a whole; the performance of their business unit within Ervia; and the individual s performance. This approach links an individual s performance to their business unit and to the performance of Ervia as a company. It builds the sense of teamwork and focus on whole company performance. In early 2015, the Board of Ervia commissioned an independent review of the pay model which was carried out by reward experts AON/&Ampersand. The report which was issued in September 2015 confirms that the pay model delivers value for money and sustainability. Specifically it provides appropriate controls and robust management of pay levels, does not encourage or enable excessively high levels of pay within Ervia and the link between pay and performance is appropriate to encourage a high performance culture. 17 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

18 Board Decisions The following summaries detail the decisions/actions taken by the Board of Irish Water since March 2016: Board Meeting of Irish Water dated 15 March 2016: The Board met for the purpose of having a detailed discussion in relation to the Company s accounts for the financial year 2015 and the issue of going concern. Board Meeting of Irish Water dated 23 March 2016: The following decisions/actions were taken by the Board: 1. Considering and approving the entry into by the Company of an amendment and restatement agreement (the Amendment and Restatement Agreement ) with the Royal Bank of Canada ( RBC ) pursuant to which the 100,000,000 revolving credit facility agreement originally dated 21 May 2015 (the Original Facility Agreement ) between Irish Water and RBC will be amended and restated on the terms set out in a form of facility agreement appended to the Amendment and Restatement Agreement (the Amended and Restated Facility Agreement ) tabled at the meeting. 2. Considering and approving the entry into by the Company of an amendment and restatement agreement (the Amendment and Restatement Agreement ) with HSBC Bank plc ( HSBC ) pursuant to which the 100,000,000 revolving credit facility agreement originally dated 21 May 2015 (the Original Facility Agreement ) between Irish Water and HSBC will be amended and restated on the terms set out in a form of facility agreement appended to the Amendment and Restatement Agreement (the Amended and Restated Facility Agreement ) tabled at the meeting. 3. Authorising the Company to negotiate and finalise the Lease/Licence Agreements, and agreements ancillary thereto as may be necessary, in respect of Irish Water Regional Accommodation properties in Castlebar, Mullingar, Mallow and Kilkenny. 4. Approving the increase to the Irish Water framework agreement for the provision of the Minor Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Controls and Automation (MEICA) Framework. 18 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

19 Board Meeting of Irish Water dated 15 April 2016: The following decisions/actions were taken by the Board: 1. Approving appointments of the initial trustees to the Irish Water Defined Benefit Scheme and the Irish Water Defined Contribution Scheme. 2. Approving the transfer, for zero consideration, of the freehold interest and title of a c. 40 square feet site at Raffeen, County Cork and the granting of cable wayleaves to the ESB, for the development of a substation at the site. 3. Evaluating going concern consideration in relation to the Irish Water financial statements. Board Meeting of Irish Water dated 25 April 2016: The following decisions were taken by the Board: 1. Approving a capital budget for the civil and mechanical and electrical construction works associated with a new sludge processing and dewatering plant at the Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant and the Design, Build and Operate Contract to Veolia Water Ireland. Board Meeting of Irish Water dated 28 April 2016: The Board met for the purpose of having a detailed discussion in relation to the Company s accounts for the financial year 2015 and the issue of going concern. 19 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

20 D. Financial Information Financial Statements Irish Water s Financial Statement for 2014 is available at: Plans for Major Capital Expenditure Irish Water s Capital Investment Plan is prioritised where it can deliver the most urgently needed improvements in drinking water quality, leakage, water availability, wastewater compliance, efficiencies and customer service. It is proposed to deliver/progress over 380 projects under the Plan which is subject to the approval of the CER. Irish Water s Capital Investment Plan is available at: Governance Board Member Remuneration The remuneration and expenses of the non-executive members on the board of Irish Water s parent company, Ervia, are listed in the Annual Report and are available at: 20 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

21 Payments or Purchase Orders for Goods and Services The details of the payments or purchase orders for all goods and services in Q (which have a total value of more than 20,000) in the following table [To be uploaded]: Category PO Numbers Sum of Spend Field Operations Support Services 1 53,300 HR & Training 4 142,598 Facilities Management & Offices Services 20 1,679,314 Sludge & Waste Services 66 2,315,016 Regulatory Fees & Charges 9 3,547,825 ICT & Communications & Marketing & Legal 60 3,764,356 Customer Services Support 62 9,959,176 Utilities 21 14,447,988 Managed Services DBO Operations ,282,207 Construction & Civil Work & Engineering Services ,685,077 Managed Services SLA payments to LAs ,094,196 Total ,971, Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

22 Funding/Sponsorship of Non-Public Bodies Green-Schools Irish Water sponsors the Water Theme of the Green-Schools programme in partnership with An Taisce. This partnership provides Irish Water with the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to supporting the education and engagement of primary and secondary school students in water conservation and efficiency throughout Ireland. In addition, by supporting the Water theme Irish Water is helping to enhance the delivery of the Green-Schools Water theme to schools. Working with green schools throughout the country, we can ensure that we are all more aware and mindful of our water use, in school, at home and in our local communities. The sponsorship fee for the Green-schools programme in the 2015/2016 academic year is 184,000. This involves engagement with over 1,000 schools (200,000 students and 13,000 teachers) in each academic year. Last year as part of the Green-Schools programme, 370 million litres of water was saved. For more information please visit: Think Before You Flush Campaign The Think Before You Flush campaign, in partnership with An Taisce s Clean Coasts Programme, aims to tackle the issue of sewage related litter on Ireland s beaches. Through this campaign we can work together to protect our local freshwaters and coastal areas from pollution. The campaign engages the public, raises awareness of the issue and impacts and encourages responsible bathroom behaviour to protect the wastewater infrastructure, wastewater treatment plant capacity and the marine environment from pollution. This is supported by Irish Water to the value of 100,000. For more information visit: Tidy Towns Value Water Award Irish Water is also sponsoring a Special Award within the TidyTowns competition to encourage communities to engage in sustainable water management. The Value Water Award s aim is to reconnect communities with their water and reward them by recognising the positive impacts of their activities on the sustainable supply of water to their community and local environment. Irish Water is committed to empowering and enabling behavioural change in communities by promoting water conservation at a local level. There will be a prize fund of 10,000 for this in More information is available at: 22 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

23 E. Procurement Procurement Policies Irish Water operates its procurement processes under the Utilities Directive (Directive 2004/17/EC as amended by Regulation (EC) 1251/2011) (the Directive). The Directive outlines the process to be followed when procuring Goods/Services greater than 418,000 and Works greater than 5,225,000. The guidelines in the Directive are incorporated into Ervia Procurement Policy Document PD/02 Policy. The policy document also includes guidelines for procuring Goods/Services/Works below the thresholds outlined above. A copy of Ervia s Procurement General Terms and Conditions is available at: Information on Irish Water s procurement policies, products and services procured and the procurement processes used please refer to: Current Tenders To view all current tenders for Irish Water for Goods/Services greater than 418,000 and Works greater than 5,225,000 visit: Details of the indicative amount, the duration of the contract and the winner of such tenders for public contracts awarded by Irish Water for Goods/Services greater than 418,000 and Works greater than 5,225,000 (exclusive of VAT) are published at: 23 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

24 F. FOI Disclosure Log and Other Information to be Published Routinely Freedom of Information Act 2014 (the FOI Act ) The FOI Act is in place to ensure governmental departments and listed public bodies make the information they hold available to the public. The FOI Act gives individuals the following rights: 1. The right to access official records held by governmental departments and listed public bodies; 2. The right to have personal information relating to them amended where it is incomplete, incorrect or misleading; and 3. The right to be supplied with reasons for decisions made or taken by governmental departments and listed public bodies that affect them. How to Make a Request under the FOI Act to Irish Water To make a request to Irish Water under the FOI Act, please to do so by (1) submitting an application form or (2) writing a letter, as follows: 1. Download, print and complete the Freedom of Information Application Form and post it to the FOI Officer, FOI Unit, Irish Water, Colvill House, Talbot Street, Dublin 1, Ireland or foi@water.ie. 2. To submit your request as a letter: send it by post to: FOI Officer, FOI Unit, Irish Water, Colvill House, Talbot Street, Dublin 1, Ireland or foi@water.ie. In your letter, it is asked that you: Specify that the request is being made under the FOI Act; Give as much detail as possible to support your request to enable us to process it efficiently; and Include your return postal or e- address. You can contact the FOI Unit if you require any assistance in making a request under the FOI Act via post at: FOI Officer, FOI Unit, Irish Water, Colvill House, Talbot Street, Dublin 1, Ireland or by at foi@water.ie. For further information please see: 24 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016

25 FOI Disclosure Log In addition to the information contained in this Publication Scheme, you can access details of the FOI disclosure logs in relation to non-personal requests which have been handled under FOI for Q1, 2016 at: Home / Who we are / Transparency / Freedom of Information Logs Access to Information on the Environment ( AIE ) The AIE Directive was transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 to 2011 (the AIE Regulations ). Under the AIE Regulations, members of the public can request access to environmental information from public authorities. Information on how to make an AIE request, the related fees and appeal process is available at: You can contact the FOI Unit if you require any assistance in making an AIE request via post at: FOI Officer, FOI Unit, Irish Water, Colvill House, Talbot Street, Dublin 1, Ireland or by at foi@water.ie. 25 Irish Water Freedom of Information Publication Scheme 1 July 2016