Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's response has been somewhat meandering, rather than specific. Comments on this process have been made both outside and within the House and significant scrutiny is required to extract the information necessary, given the millions that have been and are being spent on this process.

This is not filibustering or about running down the clock, but it is necessary to extract information taxpayers are entitled to know. The Minister said in his meandering response - I took notes and may look at the transcript later to scrutinise his comments further before Report Stage - that the Valuation Office was understaffed, that some local authorities had carried out valuations, whereas others had not, and that the local authorities in Dublin and Waterford had many of theirs made and that there was a significant variation between theirs and others. He added that valuations were carried out by the Valuation Office of the assets and that the book value was €11 billion, but that figure must be reassessed to take depreciation, wear and tear into consideration and account of the fact that €48.725 million was paid last year in the form of commercial rates. Who paid €48.725 million last year to local authorities in the form of commercial rates on behalf of Irish Water?

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