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A NEW BOARD structure has been put in place for Irish Water and its parent company Ervia.
Rather than the boards of the two semi-state companies being merged – as had been widely suggested last year – there is now one overarching board with two subsidiary executive boards, the government confirmed this evening.
The make-up of the previous Irish Water board was the subject of much controversy last year with the Environment Minister Alan Kelly pledging last November that there would a new “unitary board combining Irish Water with its parent company, Ervia”.
“The new board will provide for stronger governance and improved setting of strategic objectives,” he told TDs on 19 November when wide-ranging changes to water charges were announced.
Following today’s cabinet meeting the government has decided to have one nine-member “overarching (mainly non-executive) Ervia board with responsibility and accountability for the performance of the Ervia group”.
Fianna Fáil’s Environment Spokesperson Barry Cowen described today’s announcement as “complete hypocrisy”.
I think it’s a massive u-turn again – the minister promised on public record in the Dáil as well as on Prime Time that night that he would get rid of the two boards and make one … now we have three.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same … [The Government] will say anything to get themselves out of a hole and here they find themselves in a hole again.”
A spokesperson from the Department of the Environment was quick to refute Cowen’s claims, urging him to “read up on company law”.
“Subsidiary companies are required under the Companies Act to have a board as well as the parent company. This is the case with CIE and the boards of Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann and Irish Rail, for example.
In the case of Gas Networks Ireland and Irish Water (subsidiaries of Ervia), they both retain a small board consisting solely of three or four Ervia staff members as an executive board.
“There is now a single non-executive board for the water and gas companies in the form of the new Ervia board with responsibility for overall governance of the parent company.”
Structure
The Eriva group consists of two subsidiary companies, which are Irish Water and Gas Networks Ireland (the new name for Bord Gáis Networks).
These two subsidiaries each have executive boards to “directly manage the business of each subsidiary”.
Ervia’s chief executive Michael McNicholas straddles all three boards while two other executives sit on the executive boards of both Irish Water and Gas Networks Ireland.
So, if you’re still with us, here are the new boards…
Four members remain on the board as their terms have not expired:
Following an open selection process through the Public Appointments Service the following four people have been added to the board today:
Siptu general secretary, Joe O’Flynn, has also been reappointed to the board for the next three years.
Chairman
Executive Directors
Chairman
Executive Directors
Communications Minister Alex White obtained Government approval for the five appointments to the Ervia Board. He said the new members will “strengthen the expertise and experience” of the board.
“I am confident that the board is equipped with the right mix of skills to steer the company on a steady course in the years ahead,” White added.
In a statement released this evening, Ervia said the establishment of a single board governing Ervia Group and its two operating subsidiaries (Irish Water and Gas Networks Ireland) “brings clarity to the governance of this multi-utility company”.
“This is a key step in the evolution of Ervia and will help the executive to deliver our ambitious and challenging plans for Ireland’s natural gas network and water services.”
Additional reporting: Órla Ryan
Originally published: 20 January, 18.54
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Lovely of RTE to give them airtime on Sean O’Rourke this morning to remind the 40% recalcitrant plebs that they’ll miss out on their 100 euro softener if they don’t sign up real soon! I sensed an air of panic
But sure we don’t need it now with the country booming again.
I Smell QUANGO.
They will all be gone in 12 months,not worth taking up the position.
Does IW quango over staffed by 50% (esri) who wasted hundreds of millions still exist?
2019 water will cost €700 per family of 4 per year
Irish Water is the dud Enda can’t get over the line..
The next government will be the party,that abolishes Irish Water.It will be the biggest issue people will want to see on their manifesto.
Di u receive ur calibration certificate for ur meter serial no.? Is it in date? 1x per year…
Three tiers of clowns!
Peaceful assembly jan 31 we will not be beaten no means no
Damian dont worry, this water sham will be long gone before 2019
Remember when we all thought we lived in a democracy………..jeez what a bunch of twits we were. A 5 min conversation with any major party member about the lack of democracy in Ireland and Europe and they are admitting that we have to limit democracy for the sake of the economy.
“The population can’t be trusted to make the right decisions”
from a Fianna Fail local election candidate 2014. We can’t stop fighting this regime and this Irish Water scam no matter what the fling at us.
Remember “comical Ali”· his clone was on the Sean O Rourke show yesterday morning.
The cruise missiles are heading for Talbot Street ..( “Irish Water”)
That is what each household already pays under the VAT and Motor Tax scheme of payment.
Three tiers of clowns and each one has a hand in your pocket.
My favourite Irish Water moment of 2014 ..
Remember these people decide how much money you pay in tax to them … Are they in possession of the correct mental facilities to make these decisions …Watch and Find out !
It all became clear during this video for me !
They will have to write out the manifesto in their own blood.!
They will also have to tell the electorate that the demand for abolition is non negotiable.
What party can you trust to deliver on that.?
They are all so hungry for the lottery salaries and pensions, they would sell their grannies to a slave dealer to get inthe door of Leinster House.
Is John Tierney Ivor Callellys stunt double?
Nice one Matt
It will be a short stay hope they enjoy it,just enough time to get a CV ready.
Could be Matt, but certainly just as devious.
A new board structure is exactly what was needed to quell the discontent of the little people. Sign me up!
So this is the “major” changes in IW Don’t pay these imbeciles. We are not their customers.
Did you misspell the word stunt? #JustAsking
With no pension……
Ivor callally. I think I just peed a tiny bit. LOL
So clever, by making the organisational structure unnecessarily complicated, it means no one ever ever will be identifiable as being personally responsible for any disasters. That being said, in Ireland no one is ever responsible anyway.
John B. Accountability is not in our dictionary we are Irish.
Anyone that has signed up already for Irish Water, and wants to cancel, just call 01 707 2824. Say you are moving out and you will call back when you know your new address.
So they have been able to squeeze more cronies onto the public pay roll. Another own goal by this joke of a government.
Exactly. Water metering, investment amd conservation is needed. But not in this corrupt sleazy way.
Darren metering was not required because conservation is not required in a country literally drowning in fresh water, why do you think Bertie was able to negotiate an exemption from the EU was it because we have so much of the stuff?.
The only thing needed to be done was investment to improve the infrastructure, the cost of all these meters and everything else its costing to put this IW debacle together would’ve went a very long way to sorting out the existing problems within the system.
Contrary to popular belief our water system is pretty good the vast majority of people in this country have perfectly adequate tap water supply.
Think we’ve lost that exemption no thanks to kelly. although kelly will have to go back to the EU and now tell them why we are not paying.
William, investment is needed as is conservation, i have not signed my pack for Irish water to be clear, but water does not magically fall from the sky into a tank into pipes and into your home.
That is the extreme left speaking, conservation is needed here, especially the east coast compared to the west etc. Even a proper utility firm would be more enterprising and sell our excess water like Finland do to the middle east.
Either way, whole thing is a corrupt mess,
Kinda like shuffling around the pieces in a game of scrabble but still ending up with the same words
Absolutely ridiculous,not the event mention the cost of them all,
Of course not. Irish journalists don’t do any investigative work which would expose the shambles this organisation is, they just comment on political figures and parties like they’re watching a football match.
“And it’s pretty complicated”
Course it is! If we can understand it how will corruption thrive in it
Latest news from I.W. 800,000 signed up, Their hoping for a surge before deadline which i think is 2nd Feb, so expect poison in their water for next few wks, they’ll try scare the bejasus out of the abstainers till then, i think its too late for them to regroup. hold out people and see them fall..
They have started already pike man.
I have never heard the likes of the hog wash on the 6 news on Rte tonight.
Half the countries pipelines are contaminated and there be only one source to fix it.
Propaganda Goebbles at his best.
R T E radio one news,
800,000 have sign up, of which they say 200,000 are people with wells/ septic tanks , which are not customers there words, but need to sign to get the grant , and 20,000 return to sender, so if they are being truthful what they have is 580,000 on mains water far cry from 1.6 million.
Well I won’t be paying as I can’t afford it. And before anybody says your better of since the budget don’t. Now F. G trolls it’s time for my lecture. Tell me how better of I am.
Just more pigs feeding at a bigger trough
Its not really complicated to see why they now estimate that they need over 2billion for infrastructure. How else are all these board members going to get slice if they dont make the pie bigger
Trough is leaking all over the place now though ….
Exactly, the six one news on RTE was an embarrassment this evening. Another faceless Irish water official now telling us the pipes bringing us the water will poison us. You cannot make this stuff up.
N what a strange name. F. G trolls really getting desperate. Is that you enda.
Paul, spot on yesterday the septo-chloridium roscommon. Today the epa lead pipes. Ps; epa cost a fortune…..just cost sme’s a ton of dosh to comply w pie in the sky regs.
Well said
Please stop putting up contracting headlines to the benefit of our bully government. Call it as it is, they’ve lied and renege and inflicted too much on us and Irish water is a farce and should bring down this government. Going on previous governments being brought down in controversy, this lot are getting off very ver very lightly. In conclusion the Irish media are spineless, controlled by the gov, and let their readers down daily. Grow a set of balls, and stand up to the bullies.
I just hope not all will be naive enough to believe the horse sh*t spouted today, and for the next while. IW needs to be stamped out. It will be to the detriment of Ireland if it survives.
Jaysus, we need €.2.3bn before 2022 to sort that out!
Em…there are huge issues of cost and value for money here. This has went from a charge at the election to a massive and costly utility company. When it does manage to get pipes fixed sometime down the line I have no doubt that the bill will be as high if not higher than electricity or gas. People didn’t want this FG…
We will never submit. You have lost this battle. The arrogance of these people is very entertaining! #We won’t pay
A Total “Jobs for the Party Faithful” in FG / Lab.
Even a few crumbs for The SIPTU / Lab
Elite , who are the only Union to be seen to “support” this new multiple Quango.
The corruption and hypocrisy of this Government , just knows no bounds .
But The Electorate know it and better times are coming , with the General Elections now , not too far away, racing down the tracks at a rate of knots .
Never, I’m not interacting with the commodification of our water supply, not paying , end of!
I’m looking forward to finding out ‘who knows who” from that list.
That is a nicely wrapped up Super QUANGO.
TWO for the price of one when they either, straight privatise it… or … borrow excessively against it.
See you on the 31st.
+ Bord Gais Energy are losing a customer!
The New Government shall be looking at any envelope culture that may exist in Irish Water and they will be looking to their new partners in Europe to supply any information of any wrongdoing as well as carrying out an Independent investigation itself …
New legislation with minimum sentencing shall of course apply !
I hope you are right-that those who vote them out outnumber those who benefit from being part of the “Establishment” such as; civil servants, Quangoistas, farmers etc
Never was so much money
Earned by so many
For so little effort
And benefiting so few.
Roll on General Election 2015
So that we, the Electorate, may show our support for this Govt and all their efforts on our behalf.
I am currently sharpening my pencil in my eagerness to show my appreciation.
If people in this country had any balls they would have continued saying no and not registered, then there wouldn’t have been any more quango jobs for endas croonys to mop up! By the time the water bills have gone sky high then its going to be two late to do anything then!! Another example of enda saying to the public screw u im not listening
Chris ,over half the people have indeed said no and not registered,plus thousands sent back their packs with no contract,no consent. All that you will get now is irish water/fg/lab propaganda saying nearly 99% have signed up
with up to 10,000 signing up every day.But dont worry we will see the real figures when the bills start coming through the doors. Then hopefully we will get the ge everybody wants and consign these schisters to history.
People like myself with our own wells are “registered”, we’re not customers.
Scare mongering of the highest order.
Jim water table tax just 4 us vat added to ure property tax for private wells.We have to keep marching for our rights
And we ll get our 100€ voucher
I’m still not paying
Still not paying. They think this has gone away.
Nor am I. Don’t forget Saturday 31st/January/2015 Dublin.
A lot of scaremongering on RTE news. A lot of boil water notices across the country and the dangers of lead pipes. Propaganda ramped up for the bills deadline. NOT PAYING A PENNY AND NEVER WILL.
Next rtexheadline…..free iron leaching from carbon steel pipes poses major health risk…epa slams infrastructure. Replace with entire system with stainless steel and for the hell of it pasivate our h2o systems every year to reach pharma standards…only costs a few bil/yawn
Hope IW super QUANGO is defeated otherwise in addition to the €53m we provide per year to the major parties we will have to pay for their mouth piece as well – broadcasting tax! Anybody got €160m to spare?
Stephen Kavanagh, exactly. Panic, scare tactics and pure lies are all we can expect from these IW creeps aided by state funded RTE and Denis o brien outlets like NEWSTALK. Now what you will not hear them say is that the pathetic 100 euro inducement would be whipped away in the future in the same was that the paragon of socialism Joan burton whipped away the 250 PRSI exemption 2 years ago. Well they wont whip it away from me coz I’m not payin in the first place, those that do pay can cry in their beer when its too late.
Irish Water will be this Government’s Waterloo.
Brian…funny perhaps water-loo
The Official sign up is less than 20%.That came from a reliable source in IW last week.
I truly hope that figure is correct Dermot.
Senior advisor : “We’ve tried everything John, people are just refusing to sign up and fund this monstrosity of a superquango.”
John Tierney : “Hire four more people for the board, see if that makes a difference”
Can we bury IW and use the savings to fix our leaks now please?
Moving deckchairs on the Titanic
Fantastic analogy
Nire boards with old farts who really have no clue about strategy for irish water manageing other boards with more idiots. Such waste and excess and corruption. Sickening. My whole apartment block at our agm as said we wont pay. Recycled the packages
I hate to pour cold water on the new board….but I’m still not paying….twice…or is that three times…..I’m losing count.
It’s three times if you own your house. Because money collected from the property tax remember the tax money that was ment to go to councils to improve facility’s is now been channeled into Irish water.
Over €480 million to start with which will follow the € 1.2 Billion wasted already down the drain.
The Famous Joe O’Flynn who ridiculed the so called yellow pack workers back in the nineties… Labour Party Connection.. SIPTU supports Irish Water…
I suppose SIPTU will use the “Better off being in the tent pissing out” analogy.
Like labour’s cover of “saving the economy” whilst betraying their core values.
I prefer the analogy of “running with the Hare and hunting with the hound”.
Tim, iw workers are errr siptu
IW is in a hole, a huge hole and they are digging like maniacs.
Now we just wait to find out who the political cronies are and who are government drivers….So more money been wasted.Only in Ireland would you get 3 boards of directors and all no doubt getting well paid
Wait? You can find out everything online
Irish Water chief defends €334k package
The boss of Irish Water’s parent firm, Ervia, has strongly defended his pay package, which last year totalled €334,000.
They can do what they like, still not getting any money from me
How will they get the 40% that haven’t registered to sign up ? Pathetic number :(
It’s closer to 70% that are opposed when their figures are analysed.
It’s very handy for them to have Joe o Flynn siptu general secretary on bored, what a scam.
Remember what O’Leary said about the DAA
so much gravy so many willing snouts
More mouths at the trough.
“Comrades!’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink the milk and eat those apples.”
- IW PR Second Secretary’s Consultant
More jobs for the boys. I bet this is the main reason all of the protests have been ignored.
Quangos…
Feeling really optimistic about all these protests, refusing to pay, and blocking the installation of water meters. Glad to say the Gardai seem to be taking a much lower key stance, hardly any sign of them in Balbriggan today, groups of ‘sinister fringe’ citizens peacefully standing in all areas where meter installers tried to operate, only one or two meters installed in the last couple of days, with 8 or 9 squads trying to divide and conquer. Told the young Fallon guys in the Van they might as well go home, they said they’d like to but weren’t allowed to. Friendly waving from them as they drove past!
I was worried that momentum was tipping the other way but this latest jobs for the boys announcement should well and truly sink IW.
That’s great news from the Front, Jenny.!
Well done,You folks are the salt of the Earth.!
Overarching!
An all encompassing term covering everything and absaf♡kinlootly nothing!
This Irish water saga will bring down the government because at least 60% won’t pay.
Whatever chance they had of getting me to pay for water is well and truly gone. Not against paying for anything. I pay for everything but I’m not going paying for these shower of bast@rds!
That’s like appointing a New Officer Corps on the Titanic!
I was just thinking that myself-A new board in charge of deckchairs.
More avenues to pass but never take responsibility
Oh no that means more staff more executives more pensions how much is the bill going up another chuck gone out of my wages .
Who’s responsible for making sure the HSE don’t interfere in their amateurish and dangerous work?
HSA.
More quangos and more jobs for the boys!!
Ah … The gas network and water network all bundled up in one nice corporate structure. All nicely organised well in advance of the next bailout. Fair play lads, good hustle….
Don’t forget this little nugget from December last year….it made me want to throw up…. http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/ratings-agency-standard-poors-taxpayers-would-bail-out-irish-water-if-necessary-30827781.html
Aren’t we that greatest little country to do business in. :(
How much management does this IW company need , after all the actual work is sub contracted out to GMC .Easy to see how millions is spent before a meter is installed when all these managers and directors are earning 150k – 250k plus expenses even though they made a pig’s ear of this process. Expect more state PR as the signup deadline approaches and Government spin increases. Still Won’t Pay
This must be the new company, that enda said we needed, for conservation and leek detection. I love the modern catchy name and it should do well
Yeah thousands marched to Dublin to wish it well .It was like one of those ship launchings in the old days. You know like the Titanic !
Good old enda, all he can see is his feet, no matter how high he digs.
Massive protest planned for the 31st of this month – get out and show these clowns that we are not attending their super quango circus. I’m not paying a cent to these disgusting parasitic fu#kers & I’m not paying a third time for my water.
He says read up on company law!!! Maybe he should read up on the sale of goods act, it’s just beyond ridiculous the crap they expect us to swallow. How can you have a private company pretending to have customers when the customers dont want their custom. It’s just ludicrous really and like people here say why isn’t our media taking this edifice apart instead of just being commentators.
Is it an “arms-length bodies funded by government departments but not run by them. They are given power and paid for by government departments” or another name being a Quango?
Please please lets also make sure IW will not be sold.
Does anyone know when the next march is, i heard at the end of the month.
31st January, big one in Dublin and local protests.
31st January
Thanks Jenny
Thanks Michael
Is this a sick joke?
I’m still waiting for the punchline.
The political genius of Mr White does not stretch to providing a biography of board members and from where was the Mickey Mouse company name derived?
Seems that the government hasn’t given up scoring more own goals as their New Year’s Resolution for 2015.
U dont know what your doing. You dont know what your doing !!!
Hope they aren’t dedicating much CV space for this…
Can I just take the time to welcome the new quango.
I have Bord Gas, have they put me into Irish Water against my will!!
All Bord Gais customers who are opposed to Irish Water should vote with their feet. Switch!
That’s a really good point. Kudos!
Orla when i heard they were a part of IW i changed companies.
Haha this is hilarious. Insider Ireland at it again. You could not make this stuff up.
We have to contact these TDs and let them know what we think also rte .next election,anyone who wants more of this and worse vote for a party member. anyone who wants change vote for any independent and get hope for change.political parties have destroyed our lives and they want to sell us to the highest bidder .destroy all political parties in the next election, they’ve lived of us too long.
We need to set up local Communes (committees of locally elected citizens) in all our cities, and boycott all taxes.
This is how the French revolution was successful
What company has received €750000 from government for hiring workers but can’t be named ?
“Friends of Fine Gael” employment agency.?
Any chance anybody has a who’s who of this shower
Its the same but different… Go figure
And every FG friend on the two boards laughing merrily all the way to the bank
What the….. I’m dizzy. I’m looking forward to finding out ‘who knows who” from that list.
That is a nicely wrapped up Super QUANGO. TWO for the price of one when they either, straight privatise it… or … borrow excessively against it.
I’ve not interacting with the commodification of our water supply, not paying , end of! See you on the 31st.
Bord Gais Energy are losing a customer!
People please boycott Bord Gas and Topaz.
Captain Boycott rides OK.!
I have been boycotting Topaz for months now !!
With all the water boarding going on, we should all be given free Guantanamo jumpsuits at this stage.
LOL. nice one.!
More money for lackies
Septic!!
So instead of doing the right thing for Ireland we now have twice as many useless dole dodging members on boards linked to Irish water all getting big salaries as well as junkets and massive expense accounts!
So there were two boards and it was decided they only needed one. Irish Water went away and had a meeting and came back with three. Sounds about right from what we have seen from them so far.
Cast a cursory eye. Sorry cat
“Irish Water” is in effect a “NAMA” mark 2
Set up a “bank” (a water bank)
Borrow billions from foreign investors (ditto Anglo Irish)
Ask the ordinary people to pay for the magnificently new water infrastructure (pay back the bondholders)
At least NAMA is paying back money out of general taxation.
“Irish Water” want the poorest families in the country to bear the cost of their “Anglo Irish” water bank.
We dont care how many boards or cronies Irish Water appoint.
We want the government to take back the 10 billion Euros worth of (crap) infrastructure that it has given away for free to Ervia and we want a referendum to enshrine it in public ownership with all upgrade being paid for out of just and equitable taxation.
Now just feck off (tv):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2P5_7y1ubc
Ridiculous is not the word. People can clearly see this is a quango. People rightly refusing to sign up to iw. Controversy galore with this entity. Yet the brains of this government is to create another board. Tells its own story. Not for the people or for infrastructure or system but jobs for friends.
Irish water got a massive cut in its projected revenue when FG lowered the rates in their attempt at a sweetner deal, so the went out and hired 4 more to the board of their heavily over staffed Quango. Great sign. Match on the 31st. Make 2015 the year the while Irish water debacle is put to rest.
I noticed that there is a board member by the surname of Kennelly any relation to inda special advisor Mark Kennelly? What I would like to know is who interviewed Tierney and how they came about that he was the best person for the job.
Surely the people interviewing would have known of his cock ups in both Galway council and Dublin City council.
Incompetence is a badge of honour when you are in the “Golden Circle” of public bureaucrats/civil servants.
Sometimes it even fast tracks your early retirement with an extra large golden handshake and the usual pension.!
why dont the EPA make another announcement today to deflect the real issues again. Im sure they will be told to soon ……………
Anyone who could cat a cursory eye over the HSE debacle could see what a stupid idea this is. That being said if anyone wants to sell their house ~ you won’t be ableTo if you haven’t registered so bear that in mind
Why?
The legislation states that a “customer” of this super QUANGO is anyone who receives water from a public scheme.
If that is the case – the definition has changed of what a customer is across multiple acts. (This is the only one that stipulates that it has to do with receiving a “service” rather than water being a basic human right. Sneaky and crude – but expensive to challenge.)
It could be argued that for the purposes of any act the term “customer” can now be manipulated after the fact. And likely to be so – but purely to prevent a citizen challenging legislation. Feeling comfortable anyone?
So now, picture the scene, the common definition and use of the word “customer” now has different meanings depending on the legislation that such an alleged “customer” has intentional or non-intentionally agreed to or purchased a good or service?
If that is the case, be careful buying your kids some shoes. You may actually end up being a customer of Irish Water! (I like referring to shoes when it comes to FG! – Take note FG’ers).
Now – not knowing what kind of customer or contract I may implicitily or explicitly have in place – feel free to try and attach an order against my principle residence…..
That will soon be challenged in the courts.
Nonsense.
Jesus is actually weeping ..
Until the last politician has died..?
So what’s going on with the journal this morning. The BBC is running an article ref the most transparent governments and the not so transparent ones. Ireland came bottom in Europe. Mind you, the UK came top. No mention of it on RTE either…funnily enough.
How could the final board structure of Irish Water be announced when Enda is not meeting Denis O’Brien until later this week in Davos?
A friend of mine has just come back from Disney World with his kids. He tells me that Mickey Mouse has an Irish Water watch.
have your say