Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We have been around the houses on this. I have given as much of a commitment as I can give. With regard to the shares, the shares in Ervia are owned by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, while the shares in Irish Water are owned by the Minister for Finance and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. I take the advice of the Attorney General very seriously and I believe it is sufficiently robust. Assets are part of the ownership of the company and the alienation of shares covers that. Irish Water is a statutory company so it is covered by statutory rules. Given the shareholding, assets cannot be sold without the shareholders agreeing to do so.