Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Irish Water must operate as a corporate entity. It must have books that balance at the end of the year and must comply with the requirements of the regulator. For me to say there is a universal allowance there is akin to saying, "Let's go to Doheny and Nesbitt when we finish here at 5 o'clock and every second pint is free, but the first pint will cost a tenner." This is what happens when one operates a structure such as this. There is a very serious flaw with universality, which gives the same benefit to the people who can afford to pay without any difficulty as to those who can only afford to pay less.