Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, is rushing through all Stages of the Water Services (No. 2) Bill this week, transferring water services from local authorities to the new company Irish Water. I am sure the Taoiseach is aware of the alarming reports from Dublin City Council and its manager about the implications for our capital city. Dublin City Council will be asset-stripped to the tune of €2 billion following the takeover of its services by Irish Water. The city manager has been clear about what this will mean. It will mean higher water charges for the city's businesses, damage to the council's ability to respond to severe weather events and huge financial and operational risks to the largest local authority in the State. These negative consequences will affect local authorities across the State. Dublin City Council faces pension liabilities of €330 million for water service staff without the assets to fund it. It is normal practice that when a public function is transferred from one authority to another, responsibility for legacy pensions is also transferred. However, in this situation we are witnessing the transfer of major assets built up over many years by the businesses and people of the city with no compensation for the city council. Furthermore, Dublin City Council was obliged to sign agreements to provide water services for the company for the next 12 years. Although the transfer is due to take place on 1 January, it has not been given a final draft of the service level agreement.

I ask the Taoiseach and his Government to withdraw the Bill, step back and review the utterly reckless water services strategy being pursued by the Minister, Deputy Hogan. Will the Taoiseach remove from struggling citizens, whom he addressed over the weekend, the prospect of yet more money being taken from their pockets in the form of domestic water charges and higher water charges for businesses in Dublin city?

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