S.I. No. 526/2020 - Water Services Act 2017 (Membership of Water Forum) Regulations 2020

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 17th November, 2020.

I, DARRAGH O’BRIEN, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 27 (3) of the Water Services Act 2017 (No. 29 of 2017), hereby make the following regulations:

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Water Services Act 2017 (Membership of Water Forum) Regulations 2020.

Commencement

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on 30 November 2020.

Interpretation

3. In these Regulations-

“Act” means the Water Services Act 2017 (No. 29 of 2017);

“Forum” means the Water Forum established under section 25 of the Act;

“Minister” means the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Representation and Composition

4. (1) The Minister shall appoint the following to the Forum-

(a) at least one person representing the interests of the agriculture sector;

(b) at least one person representing the interests of the angling sector;

(c) at least one person representing the interests of the business sector;

(d) at least one person representing the interests of the community and voluntary sector;

(e) at least one person representing the interests of consumers;

(f) at least one person representing the interests of the disability sector;

(g) at least one person representing the interests of the education sector;

(h) at least one person representing the interests of the environment sector;

(i) at least one person representing the interests of the fisheries and aquaculture sector;

(j) at least one person representing the interests of the forestry sector;

(k) at least one person representing the interests of Irish Water domestic customers;

(l) at least one person representing the interests of the recreation sector;

(m) at least one person representing the interests of rivers trusts;

(n) at least one person representing the interests of the rural water sector;

(o) at least one person representing the interests of the social housing sector;

(p) at least one person representing the interests of students of third-level education institutions;

(q) at least one person representing the interests of the tourism sector;

(r) at least one person representing the interests of the trade union sector; and

(s) at least one person representing the interests of women;

(t) at least one person representing the interests of the artisan food and beverage sector.

5. (2) The Minister may appoint not more than 2 persons whose skills and experience would be of benefit to the functions of the Forum.

Terms of Office

6. A member of the Forum shall hold office for a period not exceeding 3 years.

7. A member of the Forum whose term of office expires by the efflux of time shall be eligible for reappointment to the Forum.

8. A member of the Forum who has served 2 terms of office shall not be eligible for reappointment to the Forum.

Knowledge and Expertise

9. The Minister shall appoint a person to the Forum on the basis of his or her knowledge and expertise of water as an environmental, social and economic resource, in the opinion of the Minister.

Office Holders

10. If a member of the Forum-

(a) is nominated as a member of Seanad Éireann,

(b) is elected as a member of either House of the Oireachtas or to be a member of the European Parliament,

(c) is regarded, pursuant to Part XIII of the Second Schedule to the European Parliament Elections Act 1997 , as having been elected to the European Parliament, or

(d) becomes a member of a local authority,

he or she thereupon ceases to be a member of the Forum.

11. A person who is for the time being-

(a) entitled under the Standing Orders of either House of the Oireachtas to sit therein,

(b) a member of the European Parliament, or

(c) entitled under the Standing Orders of a local authority to sit as a member thereof,

shall, while he or she is so entitled or is such a member, be disqualified from membership of the Forum.

Meetings of the Forum

12. (1) The Forum shall hold such and so many meetings as the chairperson may consider necessary for the performance of its functions as set out in section 26 of the Act and, subject to the following paragraphs, may adopt its own rules and procedures.

(2) The quorum for a meeting of the Forum shall be a simple majority of the current appointed membership at any time.

(3) The Forum may act notwithstanding any vacancies in its membership, and its proceedings shall not be invalidated by any such vacancies, subject to a quorum being present as set out in Regulation 10(2).

(4) The chairperson may invite such persons as he or she considers appropriate to attend any meeting of the Forum in an advisory capacity.

Other Matters

13. The Forum may establish committees consisting, in whole or in part, of persons who are members of the Forum to assist and advise it in relation to the performance of any or all of its functions.

14. The chairperson of a committee established under Regulation 11 shall be a member of the Forum.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

6 November, 2020.

DARRAGH O’BRIEN,

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These Regulations prescribe the representation and composition, terms of office, knowledge and expertise, meetings and other matters pertaining to the membership of the Water Forum.