Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I can only repeat the categoric assurance I have already given. We are not setting up a commercial State company to run water services on the basis that we are going to privatise them. Similar to the gas networks, our water assets are critical national infrastructure. Irish Water has therefore been established as a fully State-owned subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann and there is no intention, now or in the future, to dispose of it or its assets.

As Senators are aware, my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, will bring a new water services Bill before the Oireachtas in the coming months. I understand an outline of the draft scheme of that Bill has been published on his Department's website. I am advised that the matter raised in the Senator's proposed amendment would be more properly addressed in this forthcoming water services legislation. On that basis, I cannot accept the amendment.