Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputies Barry Cowen and Kevin Humphreys asked in parliamentary questions about the costs of the set-up of Irish Water to date. The answer he got was that was a matter for Irish Water. When those questions came before me when I was Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, they should have been forwarded to Irish Water for direct replies. That never happened to the Deputies’ questions on Irish Water. When I discovered that, I asked the Secretary General to contact both Deputies to apologise to them for the mistake made within the Department. It was my intention that every single question that was asked about the costs of Irish Water would be replied to by Irish Water directly with the facts to which the Deputies are entitled. If that had happened, it might have stopped much of what happened subsequently.

It is better to have a consultative forum than not to have one. It can be very productive. Will the Minister reflect on the points made on all sides of the House and acknowledge very good and solid ones were made?

When I spoke on the Bill earlier this week, the record will show I did not use the words “dark forces” but the words “other forces”. The Minister and I had words about that yesterday and I hope he will clarify that. He said on the plinth if not in the Chamber that I used those words, “dark forces”. I did not. I want people to be clear about what I actually said and not for them to misinterpret what I said.

See this speech in context