Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand why Labour Party Members and others would seek to deflect from the job at hand by speaking about how they won the last general election. They will want to win the next election with the same arguments they made in 2011. For the record, €6 billion was spent on upgrading water networks over the 14 years prior to 2011.

As Deputy Brian Stanley noted, the Minister of State did not mention the Garryhinch project. The Critical Infrastructure Act 2006 gives the Government and statutory authorities great scope in progressing projects such as the Garryhinch project. It is irritating to hear the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, and engineers indicate that it could take ten years to complete the project. The workforce and population of Dublin pay 50% of the income tax raised in this country, 62% of VAT receipts and 59% of corporation tax returns. It is only right and proper that the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government acquiesce to the request I made when Irish Water was established 18 months ago and supply the House with a detailed analysis and audit that would create a blueprint for the network throughout the country. That would allow us to build a system that would be costed and fit for purpose. Perhaps people might then be happy to pay for a service they could stand over. It is the duty of Government Members to take the reins of government given to them by the people and do what they promised. Rehashing old arguments might have worked at the last general election, but recent opinion polls suggest it will not work the next time the people are asked to adjudicate on their performance.

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