Irish Water Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2014

Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Ceisteanna (300)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

300. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide the most recent available breakdown, in tabular form, of all costs incurred by Irish Water to date, including contracts entered into but not yet paid and including specifically itemised figures for each of the following categories of expenditure, salaries and wages, bonuses, recruitment, training, premises acquisition, construction and rental, legal fees, external contractors, public relations, entertainment, foreign travel, compulsory purchase orders, land acquisitions, employee benefits-in-kind; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27809/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Decisions on specific operational expenditure are a matter for the company and I have no role in that regard.

As part of the conditions attaching to the funding being provided to Irish Water from the Local Government Fund in 2014 my Department receives overall cost reports on operational and capital expenditure. The most recent Operating and Capital Expenditure Report shows that some €246 million was incurred by Irish Water in operational expenditure and some €140 million was incurred on capital expenditure from January 2014 to end April 2014.

Costs incurred by Irish Water will be examined by the Commission for Energy Regulation as an integral element of the independent economic regulation of Irish Water.

Irish Water has confirmed to my Department that it has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to [e-mail] or by telephone on 1890 278 278.