Dr John Tierney

The Board of Bord Gáis Éireann has appointed Dublin city manager John Tierney as the managing director of Irish Water, the new public water utility which is being established within Bord Gáis.

Mr Tierney will join Irish Water from Dublin City Council where he has been City Manager for over 6 years. A native of Terryglass in North Tipperary, he has spent over 35 years in local government, having worked in nine different local authorities across the country.

Rose Hynes, Chairman of Bord Gáis, said: "I am very pleased that John is joining Irish Water as Managing Director and I am confident that he will do an outstanding job. John has a very impressive track record in local government. In his last three jobs as Manager in Dublin City, Fingal and Galway City, he has been heavily involved in the planning and delivery of major water services programmes. He has also prioritised water services under Dublin City Council's smart city programme. John has the qualities and experience to lead the creation and operation of a national water utility that will meet the needs of all public water users."

John Tierney said: "I am honoured to have been selected to lead Irish Water. It has been a great privilege to have worked in local government and particularly in my current role as Dublin City Manager. I now look forward to working with local authorities, experts from the utility sector within Bord Gáis, and experts from the water sector, to bring together our collective strengths, expertise and experience to create a world class water authority that provides an excellent service to our communities for the future."

John takes up the position in late April and his appointment is initially for a three-year term.