The Taoiseach said he would write to me about proposed legislation. This legislation refers to the Government commitment to bring "to an end the unacceptable Executive practice where no record is kept of ministerial involvement with an issue and resulting decisions". The Taoiseach could not answer that basic point last week. In total, 23 meetings took place between Bord Gáis and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government between April and September 2012 on Irish Water, of which just ten had minutes. Of those ten, half had just one typed page of notes. There were two meetings between the former Minister, Phil Hogan, and Ms Hynes later in 2012 which were not minuted. In total, four meetings between the former Minister, Phil Hogan, and Bord Gáis officials were not recorded.

The level of non-compliance engaged in by the former Minister in his discussions with Bord Gáis and Irish Water itself regarding the formation of Irish Water is extraordinary. All of this has been revealed by RTE’s "This Week" programme. No minutes or notes were taken at at least half of all meetings between the Department and Bord Gáis. What was going on? Why were all these meetings being held?

This is the Order of Business.

The former Minister, Phil Hogan, met with Ms Hynes in his ministerial office here with no civil servants in attendance and no notes taken. This is such a serious matter that the Taoiseach should make a statement to the House as to how that occurred. Huge amounts of public expenditure has been involved. It has been a huge debacle.

Big Phil.

It has cost the country a fortune. The net revenue will be about €25 million in the end. It has been one botched episode after another. The Taoiseach said on page three of the programme for Government four years ago that this legislation would come in. Why was it not brought in four years ago?

The Deputy should look at his own record.

I am talking about the Government’s record. It made this commitment on page three of its programme for Government. Last week, the Taoiseach did not answer me because he probably did not even realise it was there.

Deputy Martin should look at his own record in the Department of Health.

I want an answer to it. It does necessitate a statement.

Under the Voluntary Health Insurance Acts of 1996 and 2008, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, brought forward SI 613 of 2014, which gave today as the appointed date for VHI to make an application for authorisation by the Central Bank of Ireland. Is this happening or has the Minister authorised a new statutory instrument?

When can we expect the Water Services Bill?

I expect the Water Services Bill after Easter, as I indicated last week.

Work is proceeding in respect of the authorisation of VHI. Discussions with the authorities are ongoing in that regard.

In respect of meetings and Irish Water, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Irish Water and the regulator have been involved. Any decision that needed to be made in respect of Irish Water was brought to Cabinet on a proposal by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and it was a Cabinet decision. The Government is responsible for decisions in respect of signing off on Irish Water-----

They left the Government the mess.

-----just as the independent regulator also had responsibilities in respect of certain matters there. This has been aired a number of times in the media and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government has responded clearly and decisively in respect of the measures taken and how the decisions were made and signed off on by Government. I sent Deputy Martin a letter today.

On a point of order. I asked a basic question about when the legislation committed to by the Government in its statement that "we will bring to an end the unacceptable Executive practice where no record is kept of ministerial involvement with an issue and resulting decisions" will be introduced? Would the Taoiseach please answer that question?

I sent Deputy Martin a letter today.

This is my second week in a row asking this question and the Taoiseach waffles on about something else that I did not ask at all.

A letter has been sent to the Deputy.

The Deputy asked me what was going on about meetings with no minutes.

I did not.

Yes, he did.

Deputy Martin should resume his seat.

I simply asked the Taoiseach when that legislation is coming in and why so many meetings were held with no minutes.

Exactly what legislation are we talking about?

The Taoiseach committed to legislation to "end the unacceptable Executive practice where no record was kept of ministerial involvement with an issue and resulting decisions".

There is the letter I sent the Deputy today.

"We will legislate for reform", it says here.

The letter was sent to Deputy Martin today, according to the Taoiseach.