Irish Water is to be grilled by the powerful taxpayers expenditure watchdog this week.

It has been confirmed the utility will appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday - as well as the Environment Committee tomorrow.

Anger remains at the €50 million spent on consultancy at Irish Water, with Social Protection Minister Joan Burton warning it cannot be a 'gold-plated' operation.

Newstalk's political correspondent Páraic Gallagher says the second committee appearance this week comes as a surprise.

The Social Protection Minister said earlier that Irish Water must not be a "gold-plated" operation. Joan Burton says the wider public must hear at the Environment Committee hearing tomorrow that the utility is value for money for taxpayers.

Irish Water has defended its spending, saying it can save the state over €2 billion in the next eight years but there are calls for an explanation as how the money was spent.

Minister Burton says they must show that the money is being spent in a cost-effective way.

 Meanwhile Jobs Minister Richard Bruton has defended the Irish Water spending.

He says a large project like Irish Water will always need to bring in outside expertise and says any company would pay for outside help to make its workings more efficient.

Earlier, the Transport Minister said accountability for expenditure at Irish Water rests with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Michael McCarthy, who is Chair of the Environment Committee, says he wants to know how much the Minister knew about expenditure.

But the Transport Minister says that is for others to answer.

Pictured above: Irish Water headquarters on Talbot Street in Dublin