When the Government set up Irish Water, it did so with the rationale that it was needed so that it could borrow off balance sheet to make the necessary investment in its water infrastructure. That clearly has not happened. Irish Water is charging punitive connection charges and is not providing a service. What is the role of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government regarding the prioritisation of water schemes? Athlone in County Westmeath has been told it will be three years before a much-needed upgrade will happen despite the fact that water is being turned off two or three nights per week because the treatment plant simply does not have the capacity to deal with the demands placed on it. What role has the Department with regard to the prioritisation of schemes? Will the Tánaiste refer this to the relevant Minister, who can revert to me to see whether we can accelerate this scheme?

As the Deputy knows only too well, this House changed the model for Irish Water, so the plan to ensure that much of the borrowing could have been off-balance sheet no longer applies. He understands or should understand only too well why. It is a different model now. It is still a much better model than what obtained previously. I must ask the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to get back to the Deputy about the prioritisation of schemes. These are primarily decisions for Irish Water but, obviously, it must make decisions that, by and large, are consistent with the national planning framework.