Mr. Fintan Towey:

Yes, certainly. The Department is the shareholder, alongside the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, in Uisce Éireann. As such, we have a corporate governance oversight role in respect of the company. The Deputy would be familiar with the code of practice in respect of the governance of State bodies which sets out a range of roles and responsibilities which we undertake in respect of the oversight of the body and ensuring it fulfils its mandate under statute. In that context, and specifically in respect of what it does in respect of water services, we have a statutory obligation to produce a water services policy statement which was most recently done in 2018 and spans the period 2018 to 2025. That sets out the broad policy framework within which Uisce Éireann operates. Uisce Éireann, in turn, has obligations in respect of setting out its own policy statements and these are subject to approval by the Minister. We have those roles which ensure that Uisce Éireann is fully joined up with Government policy in respect of water services.