Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge what the two Deputies are saying about the importance of hacking on. It has to be said, however, that the auditor process is important. Many acknowledged it was open to interpretation that there might have been a conflict of interest. In practice it has been found that having examined all the evidence, the auditor has concluded what he has. That is the reassuring thing. I cannot give an estimate as to the duration at this point because we do not have a contract signed. We can give an estimate of duration only when we know the next step.

I acknowledge the point the Deputies made. The commercial people who have committed will go halfway up a lane and leave some houses without a service. They remain in the amber area and it will be for the new contractor to pick up the others. That is the way they have done it, however. They have said, "Thus far and no further." That has been done on commercial grounds by the individual companies involved.

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