A FORMER minister who helped establish Irish Water has criticised the company’s approach to introducing water charges, describing it as “an unmitigated disaster”.

Ex-junior environment minister Fergus O’Dowd, who developed the legislation which set up the utility, said it had “abjectly failed” in selling its message to consumers.

In an unprecedented attack from a Government TD, Mr O’Dowd said: “Irish Water has come across as arrogant and uncaring, demanding money and demanding PPS numbers without properly explaining why all of this is necessary.”

He also spoke of his fears that it was becoming “another cosseted quango with a bonus culture” and his belief that disadvantaged groups are faced with having to pay more for water than they should.

The criticism couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Government as it faces into two by-elections on Friday.

Water charges are proving to be a key election issue in Dublin South West, while water quality is a huge cause of concern in the Roscommon-South Leitrim constituency, where 21,000 people are living with boil water notices.

Mr O'Dowd, who lost his ministry in the Government reshuffle during the summer, made the comments in a piece for today's Irish Independent.

Asked what actions he had taken over his concerns, Mr O'Dowd said he had raised them with department officials and the then environment minister, Phil Hogan, who is now the designate EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Mr O'Dowd's involvement with the utility company ended after he steered the legislation setting it up through the Oireachtas. Ministerial responsibility was taken by Mr Hogan at that point.

He said he had asked Mr Hogan for more responsibility, but this was not given to him.

Mr O'Dowd said the new company had been its own worst enemy and would not be facing as much resistance if it had adopted a better communications strategy.

"I warned the department at a high level meeting that it was going to be an unmitigated disaster if there was not enough engagement with the public and that has proven to be the case," he said.

The former minister refused to apportion individual blame for the shortcomings he identified.

"This is not about personalities," he told the Irish Independent. "It is about bringing about real change in Irish Water. This organisation has to change its ways right now and listen to the people."

Mr O'Dowd said people felt "angry and intimidated" after receiving their sign up packs in the post, requesting copies of PPS numbers.

He said it was clear there was "an intense dislike of the whole process".

An information campaign focusing on the positives the company can bring in terms of water conservation and the environment would have been much preferable to the approach it has adopted, he said.

The former minister called for the introduction of new board members with a consumer advocacy background.

He said there should be a widening of exemptions as unemployed people were telling him they simply could not afford the charges.

Mr O'Dowd also said he only became aware that staff at the company would be entitled to bonuses when it was disclosed at an Oireachtas committee in January. He said he believed the practice should be scrapped.

Irish Water managing director John Tierney disclosed at the time that staff were in line for performance related bonus payments averaging €7,000 under a model it adopted from its parent company Bord Gais.

It is understood no bonuses have been paid to date.

However, the company would find it difficult to deny staff bonuses they were contractually entitled to.

Mr O'Dowd has previously said he was not made aware of €50m worth of consultancy contracts awarded by the new company when it was being set up.

Mr Hogan also said he was unaware of these payments when details emerged last January and expressed concern about them at the time.

Documents uncovered in recent weeks suggest he was informed of allocations in December 2012.

However, Mr Hogan last week dismissed accusations he "misled" the public and defended the costs involved, saying the setting up of a new system costs money.

Irish Water has urged householders not to ignore the information packs it has sent out.

Families who refuse to register and provide information could be hit with bills twice what they would normally pay.

This is because each household which fails to provide details will lose free allowances.

A four-person family with two children is expected to use 129,000 litres of water a year, but would be entitled to a free allowance of 72,000 litres, leaving a bill of around €278-a-year.

Irish Water will not be able to turn off the supply of customers who refuse to pay.

However, it can bring people to court to recover debts.

The company is proposing to invest €1.77bn as part of its capital investment programme up to 2016.

Irish Independent