The Semi State company is hitting the headlines again today following severe criticism from former Junior Minister Fergus O'Dowd.
Upgrades of two water schemes in Tipperary were the first to be sanctioned by Uisce Eireann in a bid to resolve long standing issues with the supply.
Charges for water came into effect a week ago.
Even if you're not on a public water supply Irish Water wants you to fill in the registration forms which have been arriving in the post.
This they say is in a bid to ensure you are not sent a bill for water if you have access to your own supply via a group water scheme or a private well.
Irish Water spokesperson Elizabeth Arnett says important that they can have up to date information.
Households on a boil water notice will not have to pay – this will be of some consolation for a number of people living in the Skeheenarinky area near Cahir who have been on a boil water notice for five years.
Elizabeth Arnett says Irish Water was conscious of the problems on the Burncourt scheme as well as the delay in progressing the long awaited Fethard scheme.
As a result they made sure that approval was given for work on both as a matter of urgency.
The Foreign Affairs Minister says Irish Water must be more customer friendly.
Charlie Flanagan says the public must be as well informed about the charges as possible:
“I believe there is need for Irish Water to be more customer friendly, that they need to engage with the public in the way that perhaps they haven't to date” he said.
“It's important that people are provided with full and detailed information, that the helpline are fully open and in operation – and I believe that's essential in the context of good customer relations”.
“It's the least the public can expect” he added.
A former junior minister has denied that his demotion has anything to do with his criticism of Irish Water.
Fergus O'Dowd has criticised the agency for poor public relations – saying the new company has not convinced the public that charges are necessary.
Minister O'Dowd was responsible for the laws which created Irish Water, but lost his job in the reshuffle in July.
But the TD for Louth denies that he is bitter, and says he made the same points while he was a minister.
“I've said it in the Dail, I've said it in the Seanad – there's a video of me saying it on the Institute of European Affairs on the 22nd of January in 2013, that's exactly what I said: that we have to win the battle of the hearts and minds of people on water” he said.
“And that's what wrong, that's what we're not doing – that's what Irish Water's jobs is to do” he added.
Reacting to Deputy O’Dowd, the Taoiseach has said everyone needs to understand the need for setting up Irish Water.
Speaking on his way into Cabinet this morning, the Taoiseach said he thinks Mr O'Dowd was just making the point that there's a need for constant engagement with people in relation to Irish Water:
“I think perhaps what Fergus was doing there was kind of voicing concern about connecting with people in really explaining the reasons for Irish Water, the options that are open” he said.
“I haven't seen his full statement – but I think obviously as the minister who guided this through, he's just making the point that there's a need for constant engagement with the community and the people, so that everybody understands the need for setting up Irish Water” he added.
