Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

He does it in consultation with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Deputy will note from the 2014 Book of Estimates that €490 million will be transferred from the Local Government Fund to Irish Water. The Deputy's question is whether that funding will be used locally. The agencies that provide water supply, domestically and commercially, are the local authorities. That function is being transferred to Irish Water. The transfer of €490 million for the provision of water through a new agency is spending the money locally, because that agency will be doing what is currently done by the local authorities.

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