Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is important that the Taoiseach answer the questions asked and address the issues raised, not duck, dive and dodge all the time. The bottom line is that in a scenario in which there is 80% compliance and 80% take-up of the conservation grant net revenue will be €25 million. Most people ask, from a common-sense perspective, why the Government would spend almost €1 billion on establishing something for the sake of €25 million in revenue.

The Taoiseach talks about going off balance sheet. The Government has allocated up to €700 million to subsidise Irish Water through the three devices I mentioned. The latest one was revealed last night at 8 p.m., after a year of debate and procrastination, and the figure amounts to €460 million. Deputy Barry Cowen asked in November about the transfer of liabilities and the reply he received was that work was still under way in preparing balance statements for each local authority for their end-2013 positions and that this would be used in determining the value of the liabilities to be transferred to Irish Water. Last night the Minister said the Government had taken a decision in May not to transfer all liabilities to Irish Water, but nobody was informed of this publicly. Even as late as one month ago, the Minister deliberately misled the Deputy in the reply he gave to the question. The Taoiseach should correct the misleading information given.

Furthermore, this information is going to EUROSTAT. All of the manoeuvres by the Government in terms of commercial rates, last night's manoeuvre of an amendment being tabled at the eleventh hour and the water conservation grant are designed to pass the market test. That is what is driving water policy. What is plan B if the test is not passed?

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