Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. This matter relates to the ongoing deliberations on Irish Water, the privatisation of the water supply and the appointment of regional contractors. Will the Minister advise us of the names of these contractors? One can only assume this will be a matter of public record, given that public funds are involved and it is a public natural resource. Will there be clarification on the appointment of subcontractors also? My understanding from the information provided so far by the Department is that there is no obligation on the three regional contractors which have been appointed to hire subcontractors from an approved list from the Department. This is alarming because the subcontractors on the departmental list are in each geographical area. They applied to be included in the list and carried out work previously to get on it. If they can provide value for money, it is wrong that they would be excluded and other contractors could take their place.