Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is in relation to the emphasis the Minister mentioned his Department would place on water conservation and, specifically, how would that manifest itself. Would it be by local authorities or by Irish Water? The Minister specifically said how much would be spent when he said there would be an emphasis on it. Can he assure us that the associated funds will be spent on what it says on the tin?

Can the Minister confirm that if a household, for example, conserves water such that it uses less than the flat rate set by the regulator, there will not be any additional charge associated with its efforts at conservation?

In regard to the €28 million that the Minister said was provided for group water schemes and septic tanks - I presume that is for a rectification scheme - can he give a specific breakdown of the amount? Is he providing any money for local government training towards the testing that is required on the data collected from the registration of septic tanks in the past few years? I do not believe one grant was made by any local authority to any individual in this State who had registered his or her septic tank knowing that it needed rectification works. The reason for this is that local authorities have not been carrying out the testing.

If I know my septic tank needs rectification because it contravenes the existing law, I cannot apply for the grant despite the great fanfare of the Minister in announcing the grants. The tank must fail a test carried out by the local authority before I can apply for the grant, but they are not carrying out any tests. No grants are being offered. Is the €28 million going to address the issue that was to be addressed some time ago? Is the Minister running the risk that the EU may enforce the fines the Minister was so fond of talking about in the past?

With regard to Irish Water, it is now January 2014; what has been spent specifically by the State since last January? What has been raised, even if it is from the National Pensions Reserve Fund and not directly from Exchequer funds? On 13 November 2012, the Minister said €10 million had been spent on operational costs and administration charges associated with the setting up of Irish Water. Has that money been spent?

We knew nothing about the €180 million in November 2012 but we know about it now following a radio interview last Thursday week. The money was committed. Some €1.2 billion was spent last year in operational costs of local authorities throughout the country. Some €500 million was provided in a loan to Irish Water from the National Pensions Reserve Fund for water metering. Has that been spent? Have the targets been met? Before Christmas, I was led to believe that only 20% of metering targets had been achieved. Have issues arisen over the course of the metering that present bigger challenges and problems relating to its financing into the future? Can the Minister confirm that the figure he provided in the form of a loan from the National Pensions Reserve Fund will not be breached? Will there be any savings compared to the Estimate and the loan in the first instance?

Some €486 million has been taken from the local property tax revenues and given to Irish Water. Today, the Minister tells us €240 million has been given by the Exchequer towards the capital cost of Irish Water and that operational costs of €730 million have been provided by the Exchequer. That amounts to €3.3 billion in a year. If I am being outlandish or adding things twice, the Minister can correct me. God knows, enough information has been hidden from us since the process began. If this meeting takes a few hours more, I want to walk out knowing, on behalf of those I represent and taxpayers, what has been committed and what has been spent, and then we can begin to make a judgment on the value of what has been committed and spent.

This takes place against a background in which there has been no audit of the national network. We do not know. The figures being bandied about and used loosely need to be confirmed quickly. We need a roadmap with the cost associated with rectification and reinstatement. This applies to the national network and to the dreadful problems we have in Dublin, with a view to committing the funds required and working under the critical infrastructure legislation to allow Irish Water, or whoever is charged with responsibility, to fast-track the solution. In the absence of that information to allow people to judge it and understand what is involved, they cannot see that we will have a water system fit for purpose five years down the line. If they can see that, they may be committed to paying accordingly.

My party is not against the concept of water charges, although we disagree totally with the method and the avenue the Minister went down in setting up Irish Water. Fianna Fáil would have retained the expertise on the river basin management regionalised structure that exists in local authorities. We can talk all day long about what we would have done and would not have done but the Minister is now accountable, having sought a mandate to govern and having acted accordingly. Perhaps he did not act in the best interests of the public but he must regain the trust of the public in order to allow this project to proceed properly. I would appreciate it if the Minister had answers to my many questions.