Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)

It is good to hear from Deputy Nulty that at least one member of the Labour Party remembers the commitments given before the election. A huge amount of money will be spent without saving one drop of water. That is the fact. This very expensive process of putting meters outside every household will not stop the leaks in the system.

The Minister of State said why Bord Gáis is a suitable holder of this contract and why it is the most appropriate company to be the parent company of the subsidiary that will look after this service. In recent weeks, Sierra Support Services, a company owned by Mr. Denis O'Brien, secured a contract worth up to €60 million to become the sole provider for the installation, maintenance and testing of domestic boilers for Bord Gáis Energy. Can the Minister of State confirm that no discussions took place between Mr. Denis O'Brien's company and the Taoiseach or any Minister during the Taoiseach's recent visit to New York or at any time regarding the installation and maintenance of water or gas meters or any of the fittings associated with them?

See this speech in context