Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Brendan Howlin, has dealt with the issues regarding freedom of information. We have put in place and set in train the necessary orders to ensure it will happen as quickly as possible. We have absolutely nothing to hide with regard to the establishment of Irish Water. It is a very difficult task to establish a new public water utility in the timeframe laid down by the troika. Constraints were put on us and work had to be done in the first place to ensure the right decision was made in the view of the Government with regard to all of the studies conducted. We must do it in a new way because the existing 34 authorities delivering on behalf of the taxpayer do not work as 40% of the pipe network leaks. Successive Governments have invested much money in rehabilitating the pipe network, but 40% of it still leaks. We are examining new and innovative ways to get more capital into the system and deliver the water service product because if we do not, we will have serious problems in the Deputys constituency and the Dublin area, in particular.

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