Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Second Stage debate on this reforming legislation. It will be responsible for the establishment of a new national utility, Irish Water. It is important to note that the new national utility is being established as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis, which is a national utility of experience and expertise which is used to dealing with service delivery. It was a good move to place the responsibility with Bord Gáis.

There are opportunities in this area for the State to create an efficient national water system. I acknowledge the role of local authorities and their staff which established various water systems and networks in their areas over the years. These were established on an ad hoc basis without an overall co-ordinating and efficient plan. When the other great semi-State utility, the ESB, was established in the 1920s, the record shows there was a great deal of opposition from people who were unsure and unaware of the benefits a semi-State utility could bring to society and the economy.

The overriding principle of the Bill is the need to place a value on a valuable asset and resource. We can learn a great deal from our own children who, in various green school initiatives, undertake magnificent projects on sustainability which place real value on the valuable resource of water. Their projects include rain harvesting, water conservation and protection of natural resources. In my town a couple of years ago, cryptosporidiosis took hold of the water system. I need not tell the House the damage it did to the area. People were at a loss due to the unavailability of good quality water. We saw in Galway city the damage that was done to businesses during the outbreak. It is important that we make a serious capital investment in our water networks to ensure that good quality water is available.

I am disappointed to hear Sinn Féin spread misinformation and scaremongering to score cheap political points. Sinn Féin is always looking for the problem and never the solution.

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