David Norris (Independent)

It has not coughed up. We will be left on our own as usual. I still think this most important element of the matter should be looked at. Of the €4.6 billion that has been invested in water services since 2000, €2.8 billion has been spent on sewage treatment plants and €1.8 billion has been spent on water supply.

I am surprised that neither the motion nor the amendment before the House refers to the impact of water services difficulties on health. Our concerns should not be limited to the 43% of water that disappears. It is extraordinary that the microbial pollution of water in Galway arose in a sophisticated country that until recently was regarded as being wealthy and having money to spend all over the place. People across the entire city were trying to live on bottled water for a while. One can imagine the impact on the tourism business when that kind of thing happens fairly regularly on an Ireland-wide basis.

I have mentioned that water is one of the four elements. It is clear from recent events in Australia that it is a fairly unpredictable element. Although this country's water situation is relatively predictable, we have experienced certain problems as a result of the massive housing expansion. As my colleague, Senator Burke said, some of the leaks have resulted from bad building practices. It is unacceptable that water pipes have been placed an inch or two under the ground, which makes them vulnerable to ice and frost.

We should not think we have an over-abundance of water. The Liffey and Vartry rivers, which supply more than 95% of Dublin's water, are at their limits at the moment. They will be unable to meet future needs unless a considerable investment is made. Britain took 25 years to make such an investment. The consumption of water in this jurisdiction is considerably greater than that in Britain. Irish people are among the highest consumers of water in the EU.

The supply of water is very important for various industries, including agriculture. I was interested to hear the president of the IFA on the radio this morning. He talked about the significance of access to decent water and the impact on the agricultural economy of water shortages. One of the good signs for this country is that exports of agricultural products are booming, thankfully. We need to manage that as well as possible.

There is much to be done. The House is more or less united on this issue. I am not trying to avoid a vote. I do not care if I have to vote, as I will be here working in my office. Is it necessary for the House to divide on this matter? Can we not find some measure of agreement and push forward from there? If one looks up the road to Northern Ireland, it will be clear that this problem is not unique to this jurisdiction. We had a severe problem when demand reached a huge peak of 610 million litres on St. Stephen's day. Apart from anything else, people left their taps running. We always used to do that to stop taps from freezing. There was a vast insurrection among the public in Northern Ireland. It led to the resignation of the head of Northern Ireland Water. We are all on the Minister's side. We would like realistic further progress to be made in the direction we all feel is necessary.