Government awaits Irish Water ruling

The Government may be forced to seek additional funding or add the costs of setting up Irish Water to the national debt if EU auditors rule the State cannot purchase equity from itself.

As part of the set-up costs of Irish Water, €635m was earmarked in the Government book of estimates for the Water and Sewage Services Programme.

In response to a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty, Environment Minister Phil Hogan confirmed that up to a third of the money designated in the programme was planned as an investment in Irish Water.