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

If the Deputy wants to believe his own rhetoric, that is fine. We have already made savings of €120 million with regard to setting up the new entity compared to the traditional model of delivering water. We will have one entity rather than 34 local authorities. In time, people will see that the savings we make will be put into the provision of essential water supplies in a better capital programme. The Deputy can tell this to the people of Greystones in north Wicklow who are suffering today because of another inferior system failing in the Roundwood plant, which is in urgent need of investment. We will get on with borrowing money from the markets to double the level of investment and spend an enormous amount of money in the coming years on building up and sorting out a system in which Fianna Fáil under-invested. The Deputy is on record as being in favour of the proposal to establish a semi-State company-----

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