Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps he did not understand that when he was answering the question because it is not clear from the answer. This still leaves Irish Water significantly short, if its annual investment is €124 million. The EPA stated that in the early noughties, it was approximately €300 million a year and then fell to €200 million. Now Mr. Grant is speaking about €124 million a year over the next five or six years. I would really like to see the figures over a longer period of time, if they could be provided to the committee, because I am concerned by this.

The EPA representatives have been very diplomatic, as was its spokesperson on "Morning Ireland" this morning, but I am looking for a straight answer if possible. If the programme as outlined in Irish Water's capital investment programme is implemented, is the EPA satisfied we will be in compliance with the directive by the end of the programme? Does it not get very frustrating whereby year after year prior to infringement proceedings the EPA warns the Government the system is not working and does not meet the legal obligations of the State, infringement proceedings then start and the EPA continues to warn it? Here we are, facing potentially thousands if not millions of euro of fines and there still is a question mark over whether levels of investment are adequate.