Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Comptroller and Auditor General is someone who can stand back and review how we all operate. Who is monitoring the Minister if the Minister is going to have complete control? This is an absolute outrage. A €490 million State subvention is being given in 2014. Who is checking how that is spent? We have seen so many mistakes with Irish Water since it started. Who is minding the public purse? Where is the oversight? There are questions now about private schemes having already been funded.

The set-up costs were approximately €80 million. One year ago, I sat for five hours at one Oireachtas environment committee. The conclusion I came to at the end of the five hours on where the €80 million was being spent was that it was being spent on one thing only, namely, to set up a billing system. That was the only concern of Irish Water - to catch everyone. It had nothing to do with fixing a leak or conservation of water.

It is very difficult to have confidence unless someone is watching. Irish Water, looking at the way the figures are stacking up right now, could become insolvent or could be very close to being insolvent. I will tell the House why. The poll in yesterday's editions of the newspapers said 37% of people were willing to pay. Another 10% said they did not know. The figure of 37% plus 10% is 47%. Let us assume 50% of people do pay for water. That will not be a break-even situation if we are going to have investment in infrastructure. That is the whole point. I accept what it is saying and that leaks could be up to 50%. That is appalling. It is not all going to add up. That is why we need the Comptroller and Auditor General.

I could decide on the answer to the next question based on what Senator Darragh O'Brien said. However, I am going to ask the Minister of State if Irish Water will be brought before the Committee of Public Accounts to give account of how it is spending the public purse. If not, why not? I will not ask the Minister of State many more questions. However, it is an absolute outrage if Irish Water is getting under the radar without oversight, when we are talking about public money - not only public money from the taxpayer but also public money from those of us who are going to pay for water. Everyone needs an account at the end of the year. Every Minister should be subject to scrutiny. We are servants of the people and servants of the State. I ask the Minister of State to explain and answer whether Irish Water can be brought before the Committee of Public Accounts and if not, why not.