Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This section has been developed because of one of the fault lines in the creation of Irish Water, that it cannot meet its projected costs. I am concerned that the proposal may have unintended consequences and wish to raise two issues on foot of the Minister's contribution.

We have a banking inquiry that is ongoing, part of the reason for which is that in the past consultants and various groups got their figures wrong. We are inclined to believe that what they present is always correct. I have gone through the two PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC, reports on the preparations made for the setting up of Irish Water. Is the Minister satisfied that the figures PwC used for the other boards which it used as examples - mention was made of Northern Ireland Water and Scottish Water - are correct? Is he satisfied that PwC based its assumptions on the most recent and correct figures?

In regard to local authorities, we are all aware that the assets and liabilities were to be transferred to Irish Water. It is very difficult to put a cost on assets. A number of years ago in my county the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government carried out a survey of the water supply from County Wicklow to County Dublin. I understand it would not have been financially viable for the authorities in County Wicklow to seek to take it back owing to the cost required to be met in repairing the system. What liabilities or loans that should have transferred from local authorities to Irish Water have not been transferred? Perhaps the Minister cannot provide that figure today, but will he provide it at some stage?

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