The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr Simon Coveney T.D. is to establish an Expert Commission shortly to make recommendations on a sustainable long-term funding model for the delivery of domestic public water and waste water services by Irish Water. The proposed terms of reference for the Commission are shown below, and it is intended that the Commission will endeavour to complete its work within five months of its establishment. The recommendations of the Commission will be considered by a special Oireachtas Committee.
The Minister intends that the Commission will include both national and international experts and invites interested parties to put forward potential nominees. Given the complexity of the issues involved, it is intended that the Commission will require professional expertise in funding and financing of large scale infrastructure investment and maintenance programmes; economic regulation; utility approaches particularly in the water sector; water resources management and water environmental law.
Names of nominees and their respective areas of expertise should be submitted using the template attached to the Department (ExpertCommission@environ.ie) by 5.30pm on 17th June 2016. Please note that any submissions made are subject to FOI, and any confidential information supplied in this context should be clearly highlighted.
Final selection shall be a matter for the Minister, taking account of need for the Commission to have the best range of expertise to deliver on the terms of reference within the timeframe proposed.