Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Water services have been privatised in England where people pay charges of €600 a year.

I contributed to Second Stage and Committee Stage of the Freedom of Information Bill. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, agreed that there was a case to include Irish Water and Iarnród Éireann under freedom of information legislation even though I accept that commercial semi-State bodies are not normally included because they are in competition with other organisations. However, the difference with Irish Water and Iarnród Éireann is that they are State monopolies which are not in competition with other providers. On that basis, the Minister, Deputy Howlin, last year agreed to include Irish Water under freedom of information but he back-tracked on that decision. I tabled an amendment on Committee Stage which he refused to accept but I will table a Report Stage amendment.

Fianna Fáil has called for Irish Water to be included in the remit of freedom of information legislation. The Minister, Deputy Howlin, has stated in recent days that he will include Irish Water under freedom of information for a limited period. I argue there is only one reason it is being included for a limited period, which is to enable the body to be established, but he does not wish it to be constrained by freedom of information regulation in advance of a future privatisation. He has signalled that freedom of information will be removed. The Comptroller and Auditor General is not empowered to audit Irish Water. The Minister has not adequately responded to parliamentary questions nor has he dealt with the issue of the bonuses which are rife in this organisation. I ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to comment on this bonus culture which most people presumed had been done away with.

I refer to the cost of €180 million in set-up expenditure and €85 million on consultancy fees. It is not credible that the Minister, Deputy Hogan, did not know about these costs. He is a capable, intelligent man. I do not believe for one moment that he did not know that consultants were involved. I would not insult him by saying I do not believe he did not know. Of course he knew because I believe he knows how to do his job. It is not credible to use Manuel's excuse, "I know nothing". He will try to get away with that excuse for the weekend but I give him more credit than that. The Minister's line of defence is that he did not know. I would not insult him by saying he is not competent to do his job because I believe he knew. I think he sat on the information in the belief that it would be hidden by Bord Gáis and no one would know about it.

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