Stakeholder engagement is the process whereby we actively engage with our customers and stakeholders in an open, transparent and meaningful way. We prioritise the critical role of our stakeholders and work closely with them to address their needs and expectations. In addition, we actively seek feedback from our stakeholders to understand how well we are meeting these expectations.
Key Relationships
Employees
Priorities
Safety
Organisational Performance
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Wellbeing
Description
Throughout the year we undertake regular employee engagement and wellbeing initiatives.
We promote both a positive and proactive behavioural based safety culture, reinforcing our Work Safe Home Safe culture that ‘we all have a right to work and go home safely’.
Uisce Éireann recognises the importance of equality, diversity and inclusivity among our workforce. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council is made up of employee representatives.
Uisce Éireann has established relationships with unions through our internal Group of Unions structure and through the Irish Water Consultative Group for the transfer of Local Authority Water Services staff under the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Framework for the Future Delivery of Water Services.
Customers and Communities
Priorities
Effective customer centric services
Secure, safe water services
Protect the environment
Description
Our customers and communities are our most important stakeholders. Engagement takes place daily through our customer channels and we deliver public consultation, public information campaigns and manage incidents and disruptions through a text service, media engagement, digital and social media, open events, advertising, and face to face or virtual meetings. We provide a 24/7 customer contact centre.
Elected Representatives
Priorities
Secure, safe water services
Awareness raising regarding water services resilience
Support for continued investment to support economic development
Description
Our contact service for elected representatives commenced in 2014 and in the last 10 years has responded to over 100,000 queries directly received from over 1,100 elected representatives. They also receive continuous updates on local and wider issues via press releases, social media, our website, regional communications teams, our public affairs team, regional operations teams and councillor clinics. We engage directly with the Oireachtas on strategic water services issues through attendance at regular committee hearings.
Shareholders and Regulators
Priorities
Government policy implementation
Efficient and compliant operations
Description
We have ongoing engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) in relation to funding, delivery of public water services and implementation of government policy.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is our economic regulator, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is our environmental regulator. We engage directly and report to both regulators on our performance and compliance with price control and environmental legislation.
Service Delivery Partners
Priorities
Safety
Value for money
Sustainability within the value chain
Description
Uisce Éireann engages closely with contractors and third parties who deliver support services to us to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of significant capital investment and overseeing daily operation of a national water utility to benefit our customers, the economy and the environment.
Formal Stakeholder Representative Groups
Priorities
Water resource quality and security of supply
Environmental impacts
Description
Uisce Éireann engages with a wide range of formal stakeholder representative groups, such as the Construction Industry Federation and the Irish Farmers Association, to provide updates on our plans, to inform two-way decision making, develop a culture of transparency and dialogue on specific themes, and to provide relevant expert briefings.
Media is an important channel of communication with our customers and stakeholders, particularly when there is disruption to service, issues with water quality or when infrastructure projects or upgrades impact a community.
Business Representative Groups
Priorities
Awareness raising regarding water services resilience
Support for continued investment to support economic development
Description
Uisce Éireann engages with Business Representative Groups including Ibec, Chambers Ireland and the American Chamber of Commerce to raise awareness and understanding regarding the importance of resilient water supplies to sustainable economic development, in addition to ensuring this is prioritised in their policies and campaigns.
How we engage
Uisce Éireann engages with stakeholders through public consultation on our infrastructure projects and plans. We commit to continuous and responsive two-way communication, at every stage of the consultation process to ensure that information is accessible, meaningful, transparent and accountable for all stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement is not confined to statutory consultation and can be broadly categorised across a range of categories. Uisce Éireann uses remote platforms such as our website and online channels together with media, face to face meetings, information events and internal communications and bespoke contact centres to engage with our stakeholders.