Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 30 together.

We finally got to one on Irish Water. Irish Water's capital investment in the period 2017 to 2021 will be funded by a mix of debt and equity, including capital transfers from Government. This investment programme for the period 2017 to 2021 will be subject to review by the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, and Government funding will be subject to future budgetary decisions.

On 30 September last, the CER published its consultation on the level of Irish Water's allowed revenue, including proposals on operational and capital budgets, for the 2017 and 2018 period with a view to a final decision being made by the CER in the fourth quarter of 2016. A copy of the CER's consultation paper is available on its website, www.cer.ie.

The capital contribution agreed by Government for Irish Water in 2016 is €184 million and this has already been paid to Irish Water to support its increased investment in public water services infrastructure. The balance of Irish Water's capital investment in 2016 is being supported through borrowing. The capital contribution for Irish Water in 2017 is being considered as part of the 2017 budgetary process.

The Government has established an expert commission to make recommendations for the sustainable long-term funding model for the delivery of domestic water and wastewater services by Irish Water. The commission will report to a special Oireachtas committee and consideration of recommendations on the funding model will ultimately be voted upon by the Oireachtas next year. The financial implications arising from this will be considered by the Government at that stage.

As Deputies will be aware, the Government is committed to retaining Irish Water as a single national utility in public ownership responsible for the delivery of water and wastewater services, and to protecting the €5.5 billion investment set out by Irish Water in its business plan 2014-2021 to continue to upgrade the vital national water infrastructure.

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