David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----I hope it will not be guillotined on Report Stage. I also regret that many of the genuine concerns and questions put to the Minister on a wide range of issues relating to the Bill were simply not addressed. Either the Minister did not have the information or he was not prepared to give it to Senators. Many of the questions and concerns we raised were the same as those expressed yesterday by the Dublin city manager when he was briefing councillors of all parties in Dublin. Some of those questions relate to the transfer of assets and liabilities to Irish Water. According to the article in The Irish Times today on the briefing, the city manager said that €2 billion worth of assets were being transferred to Irish Water, but Dublin City Council will be left with the pension liabilities. The reason for this is that Irish Water is being fattened up for eventual privatisation. We know the assets will be used to allow Irish Water to borrow money. That is the first step to privatising it.

We still have not been given an indication as to how the charge will be calculated or how much it will cost individuals. We are being given no information on such matters, yet we are being asked to support the Bill.