Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Barry Cowen on tabling this motion. People have been taken aback since Mr. John Tierney revealed the cost of setting up Irish Water and the €50 million mentioned in payments to consultants, which is now increasing further to €86 million. I had hoped that the Government and the Minister of State would have upgraded the network and brought it up to a certain standard. There are already leaks and home owners are unhappy with the service they have. There should be a better service; that is where we should start.

Payments are being made but fears are growing about delays in the roll-out of the water programme. There are also fears that Irish Water will charge more per unit for water if demand is not as high as anticipated. People who conserve water and do the responsible thing could end up facing higher charges as a result.

I cannot understand why there is a complete lack of transparency regarding the establishment of Irish Water. Up to now it has not fallen under the freedom of information legislation. The Taoiseach referred to the matter today. Deputy Cowen has a Bill which will deal with that. We should extend the freedom of information legislation to cover Irish Water, including the establishment period.

I regret that Irish Water is now presenting a new layer of bureaucracy on top of the existing water services system. I put it to the Minister of State that the costs involved contrast with the updating of rural water schemes. Group water schemes have been improved at a relatively low cost. I hope the Minister of State will clear up many of the issues that remain uncertain, especially the matter of the lack of information on the water allowance. Galway County Council has considered a 50,000 gallon maximum allowance based on a policy introduced in 1999. Instead, there is financial pressure on democratically-elected local authorities, which are being stripped of their water assets and burdened with pension bills. Home owners will face water charges from January 2015 despite the lack of a national audit of the water infrastructure and investment programme. Surely it is time for the Government to clear up exactly what is involved for the people who deal with group water schemes. If it is true that as few as 80,000 homes have been metered, then it looks as if a vast number of houses throughout the country will receive a flat charge, probably from next October. The Government should clarify whether subventions and subsidies will continue for domestic dwellings under group water schemes.

It is important to provide funding to local authorities from Irish Water to allow any group water schemes to be taken in charge, where those involved in the schemes wish them to be taken in charge, and become part of a public network. I hope the block grant will be announced early to fast-track new schemes and upgrade existing water and sewerage schemes.

The current situation is one of uncertainty and a lack of clarity, including, for example, in regard to the metering of apartments. The revelations regarding consultancy fees come in the wake of similar events relating to the Poolbeg incinerator project, the studies examining the provision of integrated ticketing for public transport in Dublin and the proposed siting of a national children's hospital at the Mater hospital, the latter involving an outlay of €32 million for design and procurement. The Minister must examine all of the issues, particularly in respect of rural areas where there is great uncertainty and where people have gone to the bother of making a significant investment in water schemes while continuing to pay water charges for group water schemes. These people deserve an answer.

The European Union water directive requires member states to ensure that water pricing policies provide adequate incentives to use water resources efficiently and ensure the recovery of the true cost of water services in an equitable manner. As it stands, however, we are faced with a lack of investment, disruption of supplies and threats to public health in Galway and elsewhere with the imposition of boil water notices. All citizens have a right to access a safe, clean and sustainable water supply. In addition, water infrastructure plays an important part in attracting investment and promoting economic growth. Indeed, it is a vital element of our social and economic infrastructure.

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