Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a couple of quick questions. I welcome the contributions that have been made. People understand how grave the issue is and it is not only an issue because it affects the greater Dublin area; it is of significance because of the size of the outage.

As I put most of my earlier questions to the Environmental Protection Agency, Irish Water and Fingal County Council, I want to turn to the officials from the Department. What assurance has been given by the Department and the Minister that, should additional funding be required by Irish Water or Fingal County Council to implement the recommendations made, additional funding will be made available? Can that commitment be given here? I believe it would be useful post the resolution of the November incident. The committee could reconvene with the agencies represented today for a special session to ensure we would be kept abreast of developments in the implementation of the recommendations made. In that way we could ensure oversight by the committee in the sense of being hands on. That is a proposal I am making formally.

In his statement Mr. Ó Coigligh said the Minister had spoken directly to the managing director of Irish Water, Fingal County Council and the general director of the Environmental Protection Agency. When did that happen? Was it a face to face meeting, or was it on the telephone? I have a particular reason for asking that question.

Mr. Ó Coigligh referenced how reform was critical to the improvement programme for water services delivery. He said Irish Water had responsibility for public water services operated under service level agreements with the 31 local authorities but that the company lacked direct operational control of services. He went on to say this was not satisfactory and that the set-up was no longer fit for purpose. Who is responsible for changing it? Who is responsible for changing the responsibilities Irish Water has and the relationship between Irish Water and the 31 local authorities?

What I have seen in the past week is a large degree of washing of hands of the issue by the Department and the Minister.

There has been a Pontius Pilate approach to this and it is not acceptable because at the end of the day the Minister is the line Minister and the Secretary General is the Accounting Officer. When the Department makes such statements it is as if the Department is simply commentating on the issue. The suggestion is that it is awful and not satisfactory and no longer fit for purpose. The reason I bring the Minister into this is because the official mentioned it in his statement as well. Who is responsible for changing it?