Mr. Jerry Grant:

We will send that to the Deputy.

We have greatly improved our vulnerable-customer list. Having said all that, when there is a major incident in a location, we can never be aware of everybody who would be affected. I repeat that the support of elected members is crucial because they have the contacts on the ground. We really value their knowledge. Our purpose will be to try to interact and pick up that knowledge.

With regard to our national and local responses to incidents, our organisation is much improved. I am sorry that this is at the expense of the people of Drogheda and east Meath, who did suffer unfairly in the circumstances in question.

With regard to the broad question of accountability, we deal with an enormous number of freedom of information requests. I do not have the precise number. We make presentations at Oireachtas meetings and there is a lot of scrutiny. With regard to the specific example, it is not reasonable that we would publish the proceedings of the ordinary, day-to-day management meetings of the business. We will absolutely respond, however, to any request for information on a particular issue raised. If this includes the elements of minutes of meetings that relate to it, of course they will be provided without question.

With regard to the initial investment, we have reported in detail to Oireachtas committees previously. Some €173 million was invested to establish Irish Water. Those systems now underpin the utility operation. We will leverage those systems for what I hope will now be the major expansion of our organisation to accommodate all the operations. There will, of course, be additional investments. A business requires continual investments. We keep our IT systems up to date. If we take on 3,500 staff, we will have to extend IT coverage and the facilities for them. The extension will be leveraged off the initial investment, however. Last year, the operating cost was €116 million lower than the baseline cost in 2014 so the investment has long since been recovered. It does underpin what we are doing.

On the reference to DBOs, in the fragmented structure that existed prior to the establishment of Irish Water, there was no option but for large, sophisticated, complex plants to have DBO contracts. It was the only way in which the technology could be provided and operated effectively. What we are saying in our submission, and what I am saying, is that our objective is to build the capability to be able to operate the plants in the ordinary way, in so far as possible, using insourced resources. If we have the required centres of excellence and the process technologists, there is no reason the plants should not be run on a day-to-day basis by the utility itself and its own staff, with the right expertise. That, however, requires an organisation that is fully accountable, in addition to staff who are fully accountable and fully supported by the technology and expertise needed to run the plants. We are not going to terminate them overnight but we are saying this is not a model that one can continue to roll out cost-effectively to deliver the considerable upgrades that are needed.