John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

We are and I am responding to what the Minister, Deputy Roche, has just stated. We have been waiting for quite some time since Committee Stage to deal with these very important amendments. I ask the simple question of what the Minister has been doing, and why he has been sitting on his hands or simply smiling smugly over here at us. We have tried to emphasise just how important it is to have clean water for citizens.

My colleague Niall Ó Brolcháin in Galway has been the standard bearer who has again and again called on the Minister to act on the water issue. It is not restricted to Galway and my colleague Brian Meaney in Clare has also indicated that we must do something to tackle the cryptosporidium problem.

The problem is all over the country, not just in Galway. Some 13 years ago I went to Inis Meáin and was told I could not drink the water on the island, so it is not a new problem. There have been comments that we have only discovered it but the reason we are dealing with this legislation now is because we are coming up to an election, and the Minister must be seen to act. The Minister has done very little and the people will see through this.

I am happy to sit over here and accept amendments and I am happy we are dealing with the Water Services Bill. Where has the Minister been for the past five years? It is a bit too late and people will see through this.

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