The questions now remaining over the spending of €85m on private consultants to set up Irish Water, is how much the Government knew about it and why they failed to provide answers to questions raised by TDs in the Dáil.

Former Dublin Docklands Development Authority chairman Lar Bradshaw has said that the taxpayer did not lose any money in the controversial purchase of the Irish Glass Bottle site in Ringsend seven years ago, but has expressed regret that the authority went through with the deal.