Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Minister, Deputy Hogan, is in Denmark today to attend a meeting of European Union Ministers. The Government made two decisions today. First, it decided that Irish Water would be set up as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann in public ownership, with no intention of privatisation of the Irish water system. Second, the Government made a formal decision that there would be no upfront charges on anyone in respect of the provision of water and that charging for water will not begin until 2014. That deals with the three questions Deputy Martin asked. The Government now has two years in which to work out the detail of what is involved in this regard. There will be no job losses in the 34 local authorities but an additional 2,000 jobs will be created for those men and women who are quantity surveyors, engineers, plumbers and people working in the water system. I repeat the Minister, Deputy Hogan, is in Denmark.

I might point out to Deputy Martin that on his first day back in the House, it ill behoves him to take the opportunistic line he is taking.

See this speech in context