Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No. Let us take the example of Leitrim County Council. There are approximately 30 staff employed in water services provision, be it at management level or on the ground dealing with the pipe network and so forth. They will remain in place under the service level agreement and will have to be paid the same rates of pay they have received heretofore. Management within Leitrim County Council and other councils has responsibility for many services, including water, and that does not change, but the Minister is putting an entirely new structure of middle management and so forth in place within Irish Water which will have to be paid to do the same thing. The 400 call staff will have to be paid, even though many people are well able to do this work and are doing it. This is a runaway train that is getting out of control and the Minister is asking us to pay for it without adequate legislation being brought before the House to explain what is happening.