Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am drawing on an example from the perspective of left-wing thinking. We need to have an honest debate that allows us to examine the facts.

I would welcome as many amendments on Committee Stage as Deputies care to table in order that we can fully debate the issues involved. When we finally pass the Bill, I want to ensure there will be clarity on all of the issues raised. While I will not be able to reply to every Deputy this evening, I expect to have a full debate on Committee Stage. A second Bill will be introduced before the summer recess to deal with many of the issues raised by Deputies Catherine Murphy, Mick Wallace and Joan Collins, among others. We are not avoiding or obfuscating on the issues involved. We are providing for absolute clarity on our plans.

We need total transparency because if we cannot ensure everybody understands why we introducing the Bill, it will not be successful. We have to get people on side. I was impressed by Deputy Catherine Murphy's contribution. She set out not only her personal views but also the issues that were important to her as a member of the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, including those of the environment, conservation and jobs.

Deputy Murphy mentioned an industrial user of high volumes of water in Kildare who is making a significant contribution to water infrastructure. We want to ensure that in future, whether people live north, south, east or west, they will have a good, healthy supply of water. We want to ensure that if people want to create employment, the right quality water will be there. That is what this Bill is about. It is about ensuring our environment is protected, health is protected and that we have a proper supply everywhere. Therefore, we must ensure we get everybody on board.

I wish to refer to two major issues. First is the question of local government officials and workers. It is critical that local government workers and Irish Water work together hand in hand. This process will take place over a number of years and there will be service level agreements between local authorities and Irish Water between now and 2017 so as to ensure joined-up thinking between local authorities, their workers and their union representatives and Irish Water. In that regard, unions, local government officials and Irish Water are at idemon a specific industrial relations forum to deal with issues. The forum has an independent chairman and any issues that arise will be dealt within the forum, which is working extremely well. We do not suggest there will be no difficulties nor problems. Of course there will be. However, the forum is there to make the process work and I believe it will. The only way it will work is by getting the workers to buy into it.

Many Deputies raised the issue of privatisation and I understand the concerns expressed. I wish to refer to the current legal situation, notwithstanding this legislation. The Water Services Act 2007 already precludes the sale or disposal into private hands of any water service infrastructure. That is not changed by this Bill. We on this side of the House are committed to ensuring that Uisce Éireann remains in public ownership.

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