Irish Water has appointed Abtran Ltd, Cork, to operate its customer contact call centre. This decision will create 400 jobs at the Abtran facility at Bishopstown, Cork from July of this year. The contract is for a five year period and was awarded following a competitive tender process.
The call centre will commence operations in July 2013 with up to 100 people to support Irish Water’s metering programme. By mid 2014, the call centre will employ 400 people and provide customer care to approximately 1.6 million domestic and commercial public water users.
Phil Hogan T.D. Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, said: “I welcome the announcement of these 400 jobs. This is good news for Cork. These jobs are greatly needed and together with the 1,600 jobs to be created through the national metering programme, are examples of the economic benefits from a reformed water services sector. Increased infrastructural investment, greater foreign direct investment from water-intensive industries and innovation in water technologies will create further jobs as reform of the water sector is implemented. Irish Water will work closely with local authorities to deliver the water services of the future.
“I am confident that Irish Water, in collaboration with Abtran Ltd, will ensure that customer care is a priority for all who avail of public water and waste water services.”
Dr John Tierney, Managing Director, Irish Water, said: “The creation of 400 jobs to provide customer care is a milestone announcement for Irish Water. Over the last 12 months, considerable preparatory work has been undertaken to set up Irish Water and we are now moving into a more public and operational phase. The setting up of the call centre will support the start of the national metering programme this summer, as well as the development of an Irish Water customer database in advance of the start of domestic billing. Ensuring that we have adequate resources to provide help and support to customers is a priority, and today’s announcement is one of the first major steps in transforming the way public water services are provided.”
Michael Fitzgerald, CEO Abtran, said: “Abtran’s focus will be on providing excellent service to Irish Water’s customers. Winning this prestigious public contract is a major endorsement of our proven capacity and competitiveness in delivering long term customer service solutions, on behalf of our clients. It follows significant investments by Abtran in recent years in our overall operations where we currently employ over 1,100 people. We look forward to working with Irish Water and to meeting the needs of Irish Water’s customers.”
For more information, please contact
Christine Heffernan, Head of Group PR, Bord Gáis, 0214907239
Press Office, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government: 01-888 2638 E-Mail: press-office@environ.ie
Stephen Dineen, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government: 087-633 4894.
Notes to editor
Recruitment will commence from 16th May. Applicants are invited to send their CVs to recruitment@abtran.com
About Irish Water
In April 2012, the Government announced that it will create a publicly owned national water utility to manage and improve the delivery of water and wastewater services in Ireland. This new water utility, Irish Water, will replace the current system in which public water and wastewater services are delivered by 34 city and county councils. The creation of a national water utility has many benefits. Crucially, this new approach will facilitate increased investment into the system which will result in better quality water services and security of supply for domestic and non-domestic water users.
About Abtran
Founded in 1997, Abtran has grown to become Ireland’s largest Business Process Outsourcer (BPO), now employing 1,100 staff on behalf of Irish and International clients across its service centres in Dublin and Cork. Abtran has an extensive presence across regulated markets including Financial Services, Government and Utilities. Through investment in service innovation Abtran is recognised nationally and internationally as a leader in outsourced and managed services. www.Abtran.com