John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

When the Government parties were in opposition, I agreed with them when they spoke about the regulators in this country. They said there were too many quangos of one kind or another, but now they have decided to give responsibility for this system to a regulator. We need to look at what the regulator will do. According to the Minister of State, the regulator will decide on the rate and the Government, in turn, will set the charge. When the regulator considers the costs, it will find that 40% of treated water - twice the OECD average - is going to waste. The regulator will learn that this country invested €2 billion in the water system between 2000 and 2010. One can take it that 40% of the €2 billion that was invested has gone to waste. There is no mapping system outside Dublin in terms of the pipes and so on. We know the system itself is not fit for purpose. Unless money is provided for infrastructure, the regulator will have to consider the cost of upgrading and ensuring treated water does not go to waste to the current extent. The Minister mentioned what happens in County Wicklow.

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