John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The vast majority of the opposition over the past few months to the introduction of water charges is based on the fact that it is a new tax that is unfair and regressive. In my view, it will impose a greater burden on the poor than on the wealthy.

The fact that Irish Water will be allowed to increase prices every year - the company has not said it will not do it - not to mention the fact that householders will pay the price for the extravagant spending on consultants by Irish Water makes it all the more unfair.

Ideologically, I do not have a problem with Fine Gael because privatisation is part of the essence of what that party is about. However, I am deeply disappointed in the Labour Party. I have always believed that an essential part of socialist or left-wing ideology is to oppose privatisation. There is no question in my mind that the objective of the new means of supplying and charging for water will inevitably lead to privatisation. As we all know, privatisation is almost always about profit and often about greed. It is not about providing a service. If people want to see how privatisation has worked, they should simply look at the British system of providing water and travel and so on and the associated costs to individuals there. This is what is scaring people in Ireland.

I do not have as much time as I would have liked to speak on this matter. Anyway, we are repeatedly told that this will drive efficiency. Surely, reorganising what we already have, given that 60% of water is being lost in some areas, would be preferable. We are spending €500 million per year anyway on fixing what is broken.

I would not like to be from the Government parties when it comes to going around during the local elections and talking to people who have had their water cut off for weeks on end, or talking to people who get a bad service with poor quality water. I would not like to have to explain to them that they must pay for it in the coming months without any accountability or an explanation of why we are paying for it, how we are going to pay or the actual costs per year.

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