Paul Bradford (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, it is probably a discussion for another day. There is an onus on every party in government to do its best for taxpayers. My concern is that the legislation as currently construed, with the provision for a 12-year service level agreement, is effectively saying that there will be no great change and that the dawn of a new day, with a new authority acting efficiently and effectively in providing such an essential service to the public at a fair, appropriate and reasonable price, might not come about quickly enough.

I presume the Minister of State will not accept the amendment but, in responding to it, he might indicate why he feels the 12-year limit should be in place, and he might refer to the forum he mentioned in passing earlier. I apologise for being absent last week, but I would like to learn more about the forum. There is a new board in the form of Irish Water as well as local authorities and the Government, but, with classic partnership precision, a new forum has emerged. Who or what is the forum? Who sits on it and who appointed these people? The Minister is rightly taking the law into his hands to set policy. The forum seems to have become a co-Minister in this legislation, deciding when staff may be transferred and whether a service level agreement has been reached. For all the faults of Members, we have the opportunity to debate this in public and put the situation on record before the taxpayers of the country, and to put on record what should be the situation.