Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Mr. McCarthy said in respect of the local government fund that in effect the €399 million for the operation and subvention of Irish Water was moved from one column to another in that it existed for the funding of water services in the county council system. When the county councils were operating the water services, was €399 million being put into the operational costs across all the 130 odd local authorities at the time? Is that money being used for the same purposes? In his opening statement Mr. McCarthy said the €399 million in 2015 funded the allowance of 21,000 litres of free water provided in respect of all children, the cost of capping the domestic water charges and the cost of providing a general subsidy for the cost of services reduced to level of unit charge. They were all subsidies as opposed to operational costs. Although Mr. McCarthy said the €399 million was being moved from the cost of what local authorities were doing to Irish Water, they are very specific items.

My understanding is that if there is a problem with water, a person should ring Irish Water which confirms that with the local authority, and under the service level agreement there is a billing arrangement. Who is paying the staff in the county councils? Is the money coming through the service level agreement or are they paid by the council? If so, where is the cost to the State?