Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Now, with the two systems being combined it will catch those who did not pay their taxes, those with enough tax lawyers and accountants, but we cannot neglect the fact that the majority were tax compliant. We are dealing with an organisation, Irish Water, which as John FitzGerald in the ESRI points out has more than 2,000 surplus staff. The regulator paid itself a billion in bonuses. A third of Irish Water staff, surplus as they are, will receive bonuses of 14% to 15%. The organisation has recruited half of 579 extra staff without written competition. It insists, as the Sean O'Rourke interview showed last week, in hiding behind PR departments when it is asked to account for itself in public. I welcome the attempt by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, to bring this organisation to heel. It should stop hiding behind the PR department. Its staff should emulate the Seanad, we have 60 legislators, not 60 PR companies. It is about time Irish Water accounted to the public for the great damage it has done. Very few organisations get 100,000 people out on the streets, as Irish Water managed to do last Saturday.