David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the previous speakers that this debate has been an absolute farce. No amendments have been accepted. This is a progressive amendment, an amendment one would have thought the Government would have accepted because then it might have been able to save face. However, it will face it down also. It is outrageous that a company of this size, that will deal with such a volume of taxpayers' money, will not be subject to a full review by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Some €50 million has already been squandered on consultants, money which mainly went to Accenture, Ernst & Young, IBM and Oracle. We were told the company was being established in this way, as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis, to save money because of the expertise available in Bord Gáis. However, it then wasted our money on consultants. We were told there was no bonus culture, but when the CEO, Mr. Tierney, appeared before the committee he said the 299 staff at Irish Water would receive what he called "performance-related pay awards" - bonuses. The same company spent €20,000 on a logo and laughing yoga classes for senior staff. They are laughing at us - the people. The whole thing has been an absolute farce from day one. The fact that the Minister of State is still standing over this farce will mark the end of his own political career and those of many others.