Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Yes. In a few years' time it will be outsourced to some other part of the world. This is laughable. Sinn Féin's amendment is at least an attempt to alleviate the damage and stupidity involved in this folly.

There seem to be holes everywhere in the Minister's numbers, with even more in this section. Will there be 12 or 60 members? We do not know. How will they be appointed? Deputy McLellan asked how much it would cost. Is this another item that we can set against Irish Water's projected revenue? We cannot quantify the cost of the conservation grant either. With these costs added together, we are moving closer to a situation in which the net revenue accruing to the State's finances - not the narrowly conceived finances of Irish Water, which we own, lest we forget - will end up being nothing. I am sure we will find a few more costs along the way in this debacle.

I oppose the section. The entire idea is mad. This is a desperate attempt to deal with the public outrage around this issue and to pretend that the Government is interested in listening. The real public forum has already been held on the streets and will continue to happen that way until this debacle is finally put to rest.

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