Laois TD queries non publication of €200,000 rural water report

A Laois TD has questioned why a €200,000 report on rural will not be published. 

Deputy Carol Nolan sought an explanation as to why the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has no intention of publishing the report. 

She said Minister Darragh O’Brien's Department confirmed that it “has no intention of publishing a report on the Rural Water Sector’”

Through a Parliamentary Question, Deputy Nolan learned that the report had cost €199,365 for the provision of research and information on the Rural Water Sector and to support the Rural Water Working Group in carrying out its work.

Deputy Nolan said that she was surprised to learn that the work was not yet complete and that the final report has been categorised as ‘not for publication.’

“The Rural Water Working Group was established in 2018 to conduct a review of the wider investment needs relating to rural water services and specifically to recommend measures to ensure an equitable outcome between those who receive water services from Irish Water and non-Irish Water customers,” said Deputy Nolan.

“Those objectives are laudable and important, and I fully support them. However, we need to know, in both the interests of transparency and of having a thoroughly informed debate around rural water issues, why the decision has been made not to publish the final report, especially as the taxpayer is handing over €200,000 for the privilege,” the Independent TD went on to say.

“If there is a good reason why the public and those in rural Ireland in particular should not have access to this final report then let the Minister come out and state what that reason is. I for one will be pursuing him on this matter until we have greater clarity and accountability than we have at present,” she concluded.

The Department did not yet respond to a query from the Leinster Express in relation to the matter.