John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Is that not amazing? I acknowledge it is a policy matter. Perhaps it was an oversight but I cannot understand why €11 billion in assets and €200 million in loans was transferred from local authorities, which cannot be audited, to Irish Water, which will not be audited, millions of euro in taxpayer funding has been, and will be, spent on the network and, at the end of day, the taxpayer will receive bills to further pay for the water. Someone has been short-changed. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform should ensure this is reformed, similar to the other issue we discussed, and ensure the Minister is encouraged to come forward with an amendment that provides that Irish Water, similar to EirGrid and other organisations, comes under the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

I understand the Secretary General is not the Accounting Officer for Irish Water but Mr. Heffernan might ask his Department if it is satisfied with the arrangement whereby Irish Water will not be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and its management will not have to appear before this committee, a public forum, and defend its expenditure. It is absolutely ridiculous and it should be revisited.