Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

The purpose of these amendments is to apply relevant functions under the Bill to the public private partnership partners of authorised water services providers. In all of the provisions identified, the relevant functions currently apply only to a water services authority, an authorised provider of water services, in effect a group water services scheme, or somebody acting jointly with or on behalf of a water services authority, for example, under a design, build and operate scheme. It is considered appropriate and equitable where such functions apply to a water services authority and an authorised provider of water services, and where they have been extended to include a public private partner of a water services authority, that they should also be extended to the public private partner of an authorised water services provider. While the issue is quite detailed, that is the basic principle. As with other amendments, this will improve the Bill.