Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The severe water shortage in Dublin over the last two weeks has highlighted many significant issues and difficulties, but in particular it raises the issue of the wisdom of introducing water charges in late 2014 in the absence of being in a position to guarantee large sections of the population timely access to water. There are increased pressures on the system, in particular demographic pressures.

The Government is proceeding with its legislation in regard to water services and the establishment of Irish Water, and also in terms of bringing in water charges. Given what has happened over the last two weeks, serious questions marks have to hang over that because there has to be a relationship between availability of and access to water and charging for it.

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