Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

He did not mention the fact Dublin City Council reversed the decision in respect of cuts for the homeless and that €3 million extra in grants was added by the Government.

As Deputy Adams knows everything, he chose very conveniently not to mention the fact that €12 billion in investment goes into provincial and rural Ireland over the next seven years as a result of the negotiations between Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 from a European perspective and the negotiations between the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Public Expenditure and Reform. This is a public utility. Deputy Adams, the leader of Sinn Féin, knows all the answers but he is wrong on this one because this utility is not being privatised. It is being held in public ownership by a decision of the Government in the interests of the Irish people.

A total of 40% of water has been leaking away for years on end and there is an inconsistency of supply. The setting up of Uisce Éireann will bring about a saving of €1.1 billion over the next seven years. It will be a national flagship of high quality and integrity. As leader of the Government, I say that Uisce Éireann will be wide open in terms of transparency, accountability and justification of expenditure. Every Deputy on all sides and none and Oireachtas committees will have the opportunity to see that this happens. It is in all our interests that this be so.

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