Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with previous speakers that we must go back to the fundamental question of why we are here and what we are trying to achieve. The establishment of a national utility is a massive undertaking.

Reference was made to difficulties resulting from water shortages in Dublin and we are all aware of the position in the west, particularly Galway. On two occasions in the past four to five years, huge and densely populated areas of Cork were left without water for well over a week. On both occasions we learned a couple of very important lessons. First, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the then Government were ill-equipped to deal with the problems that arose. I am not trying to make a party political point in this regard because the Department remains ill-equipped to respond quickly to crises. As is currently the case, at that time water was delivered by local authorities. While the people on the ground did an excellent job, we learned that the water supply system in our country has been extremely under-funded for a long period and that it needed a dramatic overhaul. That overhaul is now being facilitated by the current Government. The second lesson we learned is that there is a significant cost to providing water. Those who are watching this debate must realise that, as taxpayers, they are already funding the cost of a very leaky, inefficient and expensive water system. The money to fund that cost is paid out of their taxes. I am strongly of the view that as a result of the introduction of water metering, families are going to use water more efficiently and that the net saving to them will be significant.

If one were to compile a spreadsheet analysis of all the semi-State organisations in this country, Bord Gáis would be at the very top in terms of efficiency and the personnel who work for it. The company has transformed the utility for which it has responsibility. Indeed, its business in this regard is very efficiently run. Bord Gáis is based in Cork. I have met many of its senior officials over the years and I have been very impressed by the professionalism with which the entire group, but in particular Bord Gáis Networks, is run. We must have faith in the company under whose umbrella Irish Water will operate because, after all, it has the relevant expertise. The staff of the company know what they are doing and they have proven this to us by means of the way in which they have run their utility business in the past.

The issue of the leaky, creaking infrastructure Irish Water will inherit is relevant in the context of many other areas. Before one can invest in repair, one must first bring in revenue. This is not a chicken-and-egg situation, rather it is clearly one where we must not put the horse before the cart. The new utility has been put in place within a very narrow timeframe. One of the great criticism of how politics in Ireland functions relates to the slow pace of how we do things. That criticism is fairly accurate. In fairness and for a variety of reasons, the current Government has been forced to do things much more quickly. In this instance and in a very short period, we will be putting in place a new national utility that will provide a secure and safe water supply. When problems arose in Cork in 2009, the Mercy Hospital and Cork University Hospital were obliged to bring in tankers of water. Other Deputies outlined what happened in Dublin and Galway when similar problems arose. There is nothing more fundamental to life than water. I am not just referring to the necessity to drink it. Water is also necessary in order that medical professionals can perform surgery in hospital operating theatres and so that those in the fire services can do their job.

What is being done with regard to Irish Water and the water supply system must be done quickly and efficiently. I am not sufficiently knowledgeable to state whether the money expended to date has been well spent. However, I know enough about Bord Gáis to state that its record to date is exceptionally good. It will probably be a number of years before we will be in a position to look back on this period and state whether the costs involved were justified. My suspicion is that we will look back and state that what was done was a remarkable achievement on the part of Irish Water and Bord Gáis and that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government showed great foresight and determination in having confidence in Bord Gáis in the context of its proven track record.

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