Water and Competition—Consultation on the
Establishment of a Public Water Utility Why is this in the
news?
In February 2012 the Competition Authority made a submission in
response to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local
Government's consultation on the reform of the water sector.
The Competition Authority believes that competition can play a key
role in achieving the most effective assignment of functions and
structural arrangements for delivering high quality competitively
priced water services to customers (domestic and non-domestic) and
for infrastructure provision. It makes a number of main
submissions.
Why is it important?
The Competition Authority agrees that the establishment of a
public water utility monopoly, Irish Water, though not an ideal
outcome from a competition perspective, is the most feasible option
in the short term. It submits that a public utility is likely to be
the best way to put in place all that is required so that
