Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his budget for consultancy in relation to the independent assessment of the establishment of a water utility referenced in Dáil Éireann speech on 16 June 2011. [39265/11]

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the process he followed to procure the consultants used in the independent assessment of the establishment of a water utility referenced in his Dáil Éireann speech on 16 June 2011. [39266/11]

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount spent on consultancy fees to date; and the companies and persons that fees were paid in the independent assessment of the establishment of a water utility referenced in his Dáil Éireann speech on 16 June 2011. [39267/11]

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 57: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will list all consultants used from 1 March 2011 to date in the area of water and or wastewater reform; and the amount that has been spent on each. [39269/11]

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his overall budget in respect of consultancy for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 in relation to the establishment of Irish Water. [39270/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 to 55, inclusive, 57 and 58 together.

The Programme for Government provides for the establishment of a new State-owned national water authority to take over responsibility for managing and supervising investment in water services infrastructure and to manage the domestic water metering programme. The Memorandum of Understanding between Ireland and the EU/IMF commits Ireland to undertaking an independent assessment of the establishment of such an authority.

My Department procured consultants to undertake this study through an open competition advertised on the Government's public procurement website - www.etenders.ie. As a result of this competition, a team led by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which includes legal and engineering consultants, was appointed. The full cost of the study is expected to be €107,800 excluding VAT. The first part of this study is now completed and will be considered by Government. A sum of €58,800 of the consultancy fee (excluding VAT) will be paid in 2011 and the balance in 2012. No other consultancy firms are involved in the work related to the establishment of Irish Water at this time.

The need for further external advice as the work continues will be determined in the light of the forthcoming Government consideration and the conclusion of the final phase of the current work. Accordingly no specific allocation has been made for such work in future years, at this stage.