Mr. Paul O'Donoghue:

The decision was made by the Irish Water programme and governance structures in Bord Gáis. We considered all of the alternatives at that time and concluded that, on balance, it was the best route forward for us. There is nothing inefficient about the process. The Senator is absolutely correct; it does what it says on the tin. One must drive down the street and pick up pulses from the meters which contain the data we need to bill customers. They also give information on leakages. It is a very efficient system in relative terms.