Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

NewERA advises but it has no executive authority. It acts on the request of the responsible Minister, and within the Irish Water legislation these are the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, as Bord Gáis is an energy company. NewERA cannot do anything per se, other than respond to the requests made to it. It gives significant advice but a Minister does not have to accept it; there would have to be a good reason not to have a consensus on a way forward, particularly if it is a Government decision. The Deputy is wrong as the question of privatisation does not arise under any legislation because it is already covered in legislation. It cannot happen.