A business model for Irish Water will be published in the next few weeks, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.
He said it would show a reduction of staff of about 2,000 people, down from 4,300, over the next 10 years. Mr Kenny rejected a claim by Prof John FitzGerald, of the Economic and Social Research Institute, that the staffing level of 4,300 in the utility was far in excess of the 1,700 employees necessary to run it.
“I do not accept the assertion that people will be paid for doing nothing in Irish Water,” he said, claiming the economist had also said “there would be considerable savings . . . through what is envisaged with Irish Water, with the capacity to reduce the national debt”.
Mr Kenny said Prof FitzGerald seemed to assume the utility would have the same number of employees at the end of 2025 as it had taken on board initially.
He rejected a claim by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin that Irish Water was shrouded in secrecy. He said it was obvious from last year that the cost of establishing it would be a headline figure of €180 million.
As he understood it, three people who had retired from county councils with lump sums and pensions had been recruited by the utility in an open competition.
No credibility
Mr Martin said Mr Kenny's reply to his questions had no credibility and was incorrect. "Everything we have found out to date has been via the media and not from you and not from Minister Phil Hogan. "
He said the Government had done everything possible over the past 12 to 15 months to prevent the truth from coming out to allow a comprehensive debate about its establishment.
Independent TD Stephen Donnelly asked why Irish Water was signing a 12-year service agreement. "I can understand three years to maintain integrity and institutional knowledge," he said. "Why 12 years?''
He asked why the Government was “creating another monster’’ with Irish Water.
Mr Kenny said it was addressing the challenge of the future. “The Irish water system is in many cases entirely deficient.”
