Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I find it difficult to disagree with the sentiments Deputy Gilmore expressed. I have spent a lifetime involved in group water schemes and I am a trustee of one such scheme. As the Minister knows, those small schemes brought water to rural Ireland and there has been little thanks given to those who spent a lot of time on the issue.

At least it could be argued that we were legally responsible for the water flowing through the pipes. At the corporate end, however, it is difficult to find anyone who will take responsibility for anything that might go wrong. The water supply could be off for two days and people might be told why but they will not have any redress.

As for the supply of proper drinking water, there are so many aspects to it now, particularly as a result of Galway, that people are beginning to ask how safe is their source. The Minister must find it difficult to guarantee that treated water is fit for human consumption. I do not accept that after what has happened in Galway.

The catch-all method to ensure water was potable was to give it a dose of chlorine. The chlorine solution was to solve everything. That will not work as we know and is just not on. Is it not reasonable to assume that somebody should ensure that the quality of every gallon of water produced by local authorities on behalf of the State for people in their private houses is perfect all the time? That is not happening. If Galway has achieved nothing else, it has raised that spectre right across the country. Somebody should be accountable in matters such as this when something goes grievously wrong. As far as I am aware, nobody is accountable, and I am long enough dealing with this area.

When the Minister went to Galway he blamed the Mayor of Galway, quite wrongly in my view. Ultimately, it is important from the viewpoint of the local authority and the State to ensure that every drop of water going into houses is guaranteed and that in the event the end users or consumers can have recourse to damages if they have been blatantly blackguarded. In other words, if the quality is wrong, they do not get it on time or the source does not function, for whatever reason, they should have redress. We send a great deal of money from this country and missionaries through Government agencies and NGOs all over the world to ensure people have drinking water, yet in many parts of our own country we do not have it.

I have always accepted, as Deputy Gilmore said, that there must always be counterbalance and people should not waste water. Even from the farming community's viewpoint it has been acknowledged that there must be metering of water. There is no question that we must avoid waste and that water, as such, must be metered. The big problem is that the system of measurement is very unfair to farming, particularly where there are fragmented holdings. Commercial users avail of a metering system and that is the right way to do it. In my case, in the event, I will have seven fragmented parts of my holding which will require seven different meters. That is very unfair. In the Galway context it is €88 for the first meter and €35 thereafter. The Minister introduced an overall limit of 180% above the cost of the first meter, but that is of no use to me as I would not even reach that. Instead of paying €75 a year for my usual source I will be charged about €700 or €800. That is the type of increase in water charges we are talking about.

Against a background that will require us certainly to conserve water — we all accept there will have to meters — the way the Minister is treating the farming community is extraordinarily unfair.

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