Mr. Paul McGowan:

I will address some of the other questions.

First, on the efficiency and whether it extends to the establishment costs, yes it does. The documentation we have put out is both an assessment of its capital costs for establishment and other capital investment and for its operating expenditure. Members might recall that when we appeared before the joint committee previously, we had previously carried out an initial assessment. This is a more robust assessment and I can reassure Deputy Coffey that it does extend to the establishment costs. As to the particular point raised by the Deputy, in the first instance, we recognise there are properties which will have both services, that is, both water and wastewater, as well as those that will have only one service, that is, either water or wastewater. For a wastewater-only service, it will be an assessed charge based on a self-declaration of occupancy because we will have no other means of assessment as, clearly, there will not be a meter and this will be the basis on which it will be done. The Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, does not have direct access to Irish Water's asset management systems as such but has the ability to require from that company whatever information, report or record we require to do our job. Essentially, we would simply request it.

I think that deals with most of the points raised by the Deputy.