Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----Irish Water will operate and have a chief executive. The Government may have the best of intentions in establishing Irish Water, but it could end up like a runaway train unless protocols are put in place to ensure total transparency on the assets owned, including their monetary value on transfer day. NAMA is accountable to no one, even though it is the largest property owner in the world. No one knows the identity of its 17% stakeholder and it might as well be an investor from Mars. Apparently, the Minister for Finance is unable to state who it is when asked parliamentary questions.

We need to be clear on this issue. We cannot give power to the CEO or senior officials in Irish Water to decide, "This year we are not going to bother. It is getting near Christmas and we are under pressure with the report, so we won't give the breakdown this year. We gave it last year and will give it again in five years time." We cannot that to happen. Irish Water must be duty bound under law to provide the information for the taxpayer. That is the very least it should provide for the taxpayer and it is the least I expect. My party will call votes unless there is a commitment to insert a statutory requirement either tonight or on Thursday. I am willing to wait until Thursday when we can retable the amendments on Report Stage.