Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is an important amendment. The role of the Comptroller and Auditor General is central to achieving value for money and providing adequate oversight of performance, stewardship and accountability in all organisations where public money is used. As public money is being used by Irish Water, the company should come under the full scrutiny of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Anything short of that would be a disservice to taxpayers.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has a role in liaising with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and identifying State bodies which use public funding and should, therefore, come within the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General. I am surprised that any Minister would be satisfied with a position in which Irish Water does not fulfil this obligation. Annual financial statements are vital as they define not only the current and past performance of an organisation, but also lay down future expectations in terms of balance sheets, profits and loss and assets. Irish Water will be entrusted with substantial public funds in the years ahead. That such an organisation will be placed beyond the scrutiny of the body established to protect taxpayers' interests is reckless in the extreme.

Any Minister or Senator who opposes the amendment must ask himself or herself some serious questions. This is a slippery slope and I assure the Government that the issue will come back to haunt it. The amendment should be supported. I ask the Minister of State to reflect on his position and if he needs to time to do so, we would be more than happy to postpone the debate until tomorrow and take Report Stage in the new year.