Chairman of the Oireachtas Environment Committee, Michael McCarthy, has welcomed moves by Uisce Éireann to establish a dedicated line of communication to address requests for information from Oireachtas members on behalf of the public.

He said: "Further to the appearance of Uisce Éireann at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tuesday, they have now put in place a process whereby Oireachtas members can request information directly from Uisce Éireann. The queries raised will be dealt with by dedicated personnel, and a response will be issued within three working days.

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"I welcome this move by Uisce Éireann. Recent developments have highlighted the importance of having a high degree of openness and transparency in helping to underpin public trust and confidence in Irish Water, especially given the publicly-funded utility's critical role and its responsibilities for one of our most valuable natural resources.

"The needs of customers must be at the heart of what Uisce Éireann is doing, which will require a large degree of openness and cooperation, which have been sadly lacking to date."

(CD/JP)