Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's answer has no credibility and is not correct. Everything we have found out to date has been via the media, not from the Taoiseach or the Minister, Deputy Hogan. I will leave others to judge the statement I have just made. The Taoiseach should not come to the House and try to pretend there has been full transparency from the Government in the past 12 to 15 months in respect of the establishment of Irish Water. It is through the media that we have learned the bulk of what has come out in recent weeks in respect of the establishment of Irish Water.

The other point to make is that the Taoiseach was warned by his own advisers that going down this route would be much more costly. He was not told that setting up a separate entity, free from Bord Gáis, would cost much more, he was told that if the new body was set up under Bord Gáis, it would cost much more than the Government intended. That is the advice the Taoiseach received. He is still refusing to answer a question I have asked on at least four occasions, whether it is right that people should move across from one sector to the next. Does he not accept that this fuels cynicism, particularly when one of these individuals is heading up the transition?

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