Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Measaim go bhfuil rud amháin maith sa Bhille seo agus is é sin an t-ainm, Uisce Éireann. The only positive part of this Bill is the name of the proposed agency which is as Gaeilge. I have very little faith in the way the agency has been proposed listening to Deputy Catherine Murphy describe how the environment committee was treated and how the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Big Phil, introduced the legislation. He was belligerent and would not allow time for amendments. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, who is taking this Bill today and who I welcomed in media debates, is the softer face of the Department. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, used bully-boy tactics, however, and I have no faith whatsoever in his capability to deliver on these issues.

I have less faith in the fact that the proposed agency is going to Bord Gáis, particularly with its recent carry-on in its arrangements with Balfour Beatty and how it treated its own service people. Bord Gáis is actually treating its network in a reckless way which is highly dangerous. Uisce Éireann is going to be handed over to this company in a cosy deal to manage our water services.

I salute the pioneers, both in urban and rural areas, who set up private water schemes over the years and for their hard work in making them successful. In many cases, they had to fight the councils rather than get support from them. I recall when a buachaill óg at school how the pipes were laid in my area for its private group scheme. Many of these were handed over to the local councils which they then shut down. I have been fighting with my local authority to take back these schemes because they were perfect supplies being much better and safer.

I acknowledge the excellent service provided by the water service engineers, officials, outdoor staff in South Tipperary County Council and Waterford County Council. Over the years I have dealt with them, they have always been helpful to me and have endeavoured to repair services and keep water supplies running out-of-hours and on Christmas day.

However, I have no faith in this. When will we learn? The country seems to be inept at doing many things. There was the debacle with medical card centralisation and the debacle with Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, which was an unmitigated disaster. Following an invitation, I went to visit the SUSI offices last week. I blame the Department officials and the Minister, but mainly the Department officials, who interviewed the people for the organisation. It is probably the same in Bord Gáis Éireann. I would like to know the criteria used to appoint those in Bord Gáis. If it was not a nod and a wink I would be very keen to know what criteria it was based on. We have experienced the medical card fiasco, the PPARS health service system, the voting machines and SUSI. It has been a case of disaster after unmitigated disaster and has cost hundreds of millions of euro of Irish taxpayers' money. For the life of me I cannot understand why the troika does not go into those Departments to find out what is going on. How can they be so incompetent and have so much money and ministerial nods as well? I imagine the Minister did not buy the voting machines; he probably sent officials to check them out. We got a product that was unfit for purpose and should have been sent back. What kind of inept people - that is all one could call them - signed the contract to buy something like that? They did not care because it was taxpayers' money. I do not want this to happen with water because it is too valuable a resource and has been pioneered in many cases by members of the community in many areas. I salute them.

I am sick and tired of hearing that big is beautiful and that it is wonderful for Bord Gáis. Bord Gáis had a good name but the name has slipped drastically in recent years since it has hived off its businesses. It has treated reputable customers and long-standing suppliers and maintenance people, including MP Ryan in my town, Clonmel, appallingly. Bord Gáis made agreements with trade unions and others about taking over staff, but it was a race to the bottom. It brought in suppliers with no knowledge of the network and in many cases they could not find a pipeline. Frankly, it is not carrying out maintenance to the gas network which it should be doing in the interests of health and safety, and I wish to put as much on the record categorically. The company has abused and walked over the rights of people, including employment rights. Deputy Ferris raised this issue in the Dáil before me, but I have raised it as well with regard to a company in Clonmel, MP Ryan, which gave sterling service and had excellent employees but was simply cast aside. Its service was worth nothing. Now we will hand the water network over to these chancers. I use the term because the company is not fit to do the job, although those involved can make the right moves and sounds if there is an interview or tender process.

Was it the same last week when the Government finally closed down IBRC and appointed receivers on the spot with no tender process? The receivers will be allowed to charge what they like. On the same day the Government was tendering for receivers, the receivers were appointed. The firm appointed was the same firm that advised Mr. Fingleton and his company and did the books for them. Where is its credibility? It has no credibility whatsoever.

Let us make haste slowly. Much good effort is under way in the community, especially among our young people. I cannot understand why the planning units of local authorities have not had more of a role in water issues, especially in the case of new houses over the past 20 years. Enough houses have been built. Roof water should be collected and stored in a tank underneath the house to be used for everything except drinking water, including washing the car and watering the lawns. It is a simple thing. Planning authorities can put all manner of silly conditions in place, as well as requirements relating to money and charges. I have in mind a simple tank underneath the house. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, is the same age as myself. I imagine we can all remember the barrel under the chute in the corner of the house. That is where we got water from when I was a ladeen. Thankfully, I can remember drawing water from a hand pump with a horse and cart. I knew the value of that water. Rural people know the value of water and that is why they were so incensed to be attacked by the Department and the Minister when it came to wastewater and septic tanks. They have more interest in preserving water because they have memories of having no water and of bringing it in to the house in a barrel or bucket. They respect water, but I do not believe the gurus in Departments or some Ministers or those in Bord Gáis know anything about water. The company should stick to what it is good at rather than trying to hijack this and extract more money for the Government. Deputy Catherine Murphy suggested the company could sign up to a deal whereby we may have to pay back money in years to come.

I salute the those involved in education and the children involved in the green schools initiative and so on who have done wonderful projects. I fought with the former Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, for some years to try to introduce a retrofit grant for schools, especially small national schools. There was a man in my constituency who wanted to do the work and could do it for between €2,000 and €3,000. However, the Minister was more interested in the big issues such as banning fox hunting and stag hunting and whatever else. He was not interested in small, basic education initiatives that ordinary young people wanted to get involved in to show us the lead. They will show us how to do it, how to retrofit and how to spare water and change various taps and so on. These are small initiatives, but the Minister was only interested in the big issues. He said afterwards that he had got out of the asylum, but he made it the asylum because he would not go after the simple things we should have gone after.

I have no wish to see Bord Gáis getting this project. I am opposed to it and I will table amendments. I know the Government will guillotine the Bill and push it through. To what end? Have we not learned? The Minister of State can blame the last Government for the mess with PPARS and voting machines and so on, but the current Government is in charge now. The medical card fiasco and SUSI are the creations of this Government and they have been unmitigated disasters.

Local knowledge is a valuable thing. The local caretakers of private schemes and council caretakers know every pipe, inlet and outlet and they know where water is being siphoned off. I am not fundamentally opposed to charging for water. Farmers and business people are already charged and in the case of business people, they are charged for water in and water out. We must respect this scarce commodity and we should not allow any private company, whether it is Bord Gáis or any other company, to hijack it simply because it is ripe to be hijacked and raped and plundered, although I am loth to use those words. However, that is what Bord Gáis will do. It had an excellent record in gas but now it has thrown it all to waste and cut corners. There are companies from all over the world working for Bord Gáis with no credibility while our workers, suppliers and subcontractors are cast aside and their knowledge and experience is neglected and ignored.

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