Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The fact that these people are getting money for the first time for the provision of water is a good thing and is to be welcomed. People who get water from group water schemes have had to pay without being able to avail of an inability-to-pay clause up to now. There was no inability-to-pay clause for those with their own wells. A person could call a plumber and if the plumber had a social conscience he or she might have fixed the well, despite the fact that the person who called him or her was not able to pay. I am sure many plumbers across the State did that in particularly deserving cases, but there was no inability-to-pay clause. It brings a degree of universality to the provision of water services, something I welcome.

Deputies Kelleher and McGuinness referred to futility. Deputy McGuinness, having argued against what he voted for in December 2010, left the Chamber.

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