Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 25th September, 2015.

I, ALAN KELLY, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 7 (4) of the Water Services Act 2014 (No. 44 of 2014) hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Water Services Act 2014 (Public Water Forum) (Amendment) Regulations 2015.

Interpretation

2. In these Regulations "Principal Regulations" means Water Services Act 2014 (Public Water Forum) Regulations 2015.

Composition of Forum

3. (1) Regulation 3 of the Principal Regulations is amended-

(a) by inserting in paragraph (1) after subparagraph (j) the following:

‘(k) At least one person representing the interests of the trade union movement; and

(l) At least one person representing the group water sector.’

(b) in paragraph (3) by deleting ‘registered’,

(c) by substituting for paragraph (4) the following:

‘(4)(a) The Commission shall select from the applications received in respect of Regulation 3(3) on the basis of the Forum being representative of Irish society by ensuring balance in terms of gender, age and region and reflecting the urban and rural population, and

(b) Upon selection, the total number of persons representing domestic customers should at a minimum equal the number representing organisations as set out in Regulation 3(1).’

(d) in paragraph (5), by deleting ‘registered’, and

(e) by substituting for paragraph (6) the following:

‘(6) The Forum shall consist of a maximum of 32 members, excluding the Chairperson’.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

21 September 2015.

ALAN KELLY,

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations provide for the amendment of the Water Services Act 2014 (Public Water Forum) Regulations 2015. The amendments are required in order to include unregistered customers, a representative of the trade union movement and a representative of the group water sector as members of the Forum. The maximum membership of the Forum is being increased to 32 and the CER is now able to appoint at least the same number of individual customer representatives as the number representing organisations.