Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In other words, the management team foresaw the scale of the external services that would be required.

On the cost of establishing Uisce Éireann, there is a fascination for me because I asked the question several times in the Dáil directly of Ministers but never received any type of clear answer which did not refer to the CER and go off on various other tangents in order to use up the allotted four minutes.

However, they have never actually answered this question. Like other questions that have been answered in recent days, people in the corner shop were able to give me the answers because they had heard Mr. Tierney talking on radio or through bits and pieces that have been emerging through the print media in recent days. However, Members have been unable to get such answers in the Chamber, which is the problem with setting up a company like this. Anyway, members are here now.

Mr. Tierney has outlined that the start-up costs will be €150 million and possibly a further €30 million. Would it be safe to state Mr. Tierney will need this €30 million? As for the Minister's knowledge in this regard, by what date was the Minister aware that Mr. Tierney would need €180 million to set up Uisce Éireann? If I heard Mr. Tierney correctly earlier, he stated that in September 2012, he had prepared and presented this budget. Consequently, if the Department knew, did Mr. Tierney speak to the Minister about this? Was a circular sent to the Minister by Uisce Éireann directly to notify him of this or did Mr. Tierney expect that his departmental officials would let him know? I refer either to the Minister of State directly responsible for water or the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.