Irish Water scandal - Lack of openness is appalling

Even before a tap has even been turned on, the shambles engulfing Irish Water’s splurge of €85m on consultancy fees has turned into a major PR disaster for the new semi-state.

Displaying scant regard for the long-suffering taxpayer, it is also a glaring example of government failure to rid the system of a costly bonus culture this benighted country can ill afford.

Once again, a jaundiced public is gazing at the spectacle of politicians struggling to close the stable door after the horse bolted. Quicker than water can leak from a broken pipe, the hard-earned money of those fortunate enough to have jobs has been flowing into the coffers of international consultants. This despite the fact that effective homegrown templates for billing and metering utilities such as electricity and gas have for years been run effectively by the ESB and Bord Gáis. But both were apparently ignored. The bitter irony is that Bord Gáis is an umbrella for the new water-distribution company.