Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the comments of Senator Mooney on e-mails. What is far more sinister are those who receive phone calls on their mobile phones while on the Internet from those who tell them they will hack into their computers unless they pay money over immediately. I know of people who had such an experience. It is part of a new trend. It is quite frightening when it happens. If it happens people should disconnect their phones immediately and shut down their computers before any action is taken, and not transfer any money as happened in one case.

I refer to Irish Water. Now that it has been established it is important that it is functioning and we have a regular review of the procedures it introduces. One issue which came to my attention in the past week concerns the fact that it is part of the Bord Gáis group. When it deals with housing estates it insists, and rightly so, that it puts in place the gas pipeline servicing all houses in entire estates. I understand it is now floating, to pardon a pun, the idea that it would also be responsible for installing water and sewer pipes in housing estates. That will cause legal complications because if engineers certify the building and make sure there is full compliance with planning, there will be a dispute regarding who is responsible for what. It is something about which the construction industry is concerned. Builders are concerned that there could be two or three different contractors in one building estate at the same time without anyone being in overall charge. It is causing concern and needs to be resolved at a very early stage. We should have a debate on the current procedure in Irish Water.