Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

No, it cannot. Section 40(7) provides that, notwithstanding the contracting out of the service to a third party, the contracting water services authority will retain responsibility for ensuring that it complies with all statutory requirements. There will be no danger in a DBO process of any slippage. The asset, which is the water and the system, will remain with the water services authority. In the DBO process, a contractor is contracted by the council for specific work over a specific period. I realise that there are arguments, issues and debates about the DBO process as opposed to councils operating the services themselves. However, that is an argument about operational matters.

The core issue in privatisation is ownership and I am grateful that the Deputy accepted on day one that I eviscerated any opportunity to create privatisation that may have existed. I do not accept that it was ever part of the ethos of the Bill, but I have gone through the legislation to ensure that there is no chance of the asset being privatised. That is the whole point of amendment No. 17 and I hope that the Deputy accepts my bona fides in this matter. The House should accept amendment No. 17.

See this speech in context