John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Dr. Collins and apologise for our role in delaying him. The first time I saw Dr. Collins was on television at the height of this and his presentation and contributions today reinforce the view I held then - and that I still hold - that if the process of water metering had started with him then we might have ended up in a completely different place. Dr. Collins has come across as a trustworthy voice. I have two or three questions to ask but first I must refer to a number of things that Dr. Collins said that really made an impact on me. One of the phrases he used was that water is a great barometer of the health of the nation, but also of the health of the nation's land.

If we had started at this point and had taken our time, leading in with the education aspect for a few years, we would not have ended up with people educated about Garda powers, the fabrication of water meters and what they are or are not made of, and what are the rights of individuals as protesters.