Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I compliment Deputy Cowen on the tabling of this fundamental motion, which relates to an issue about which there is widespread concern among the public. We might have a debate in here, but there is a great deal of anger outside the House regarding many issues which have been raised forcibly. In recent months, as progress was made with the establishment of Irish water, those involved with group water schemes were constantly looking for information and documentation on what will happen. Major issues arose in this regard before Christmas when the rush to set up Irish Water was intensifying. The trustees of group water schemes have received no clarification - good, bad or indifferent - about where they fit in. If they did not give their time voluntarily, funding would not be drawn down and, because of State issues, water would not be brought to their communities as currently happens. There has been uproar among such people over the last week or ten days, as their trust in the new body has evaporated completely. There is no need for me to elaborate on this complete loss of trust because the Minister knows about it.

Over the last week or ten days, people from many communities have been contacting me constantly to express concern about the continuing leaks from the old lead pipes on which the system relies. As soon as a leak is fixed, another leak is found somewhere else. This results in lower water pressure in housing estates and farming communities, particularly at times of high consumption. The manner in which leaks continued to spring was a major issue in one part of my constituency last summer. When those affected contacted the local authority, they were told that no funding was available to deal with the matter. They were looking for €5,000, €10,000 or €15,000 to repair a stretch of water piping. Now they have learned that a vast amount of State money - €180 million or €185 million - is being spent on consultants. They are still affected by the leaking pipes and the inadequate structure that is there.

How can we convince those people that setting up Irish Water, Uisce Éireann, was the right thing to do? The local authorities have been grappling with this and trying to deal with it over the years. Now a whole new body is being established which will take away from the concept of people being able to get on to their local representatives and get some kind of satisfaction on their water bills, the structure, the leaks or the inadequate supplies. There is a raft of these things.

We have created a very large national organisation or quango that will be removed from what is happening on the ground. I cannot see any justification for the amount of money used to set up Irish Water. If the €100 million that has been invested to date and the other moneys committed were given as a block grant to local authorities, significant extensions and repairs could be made to the group water schemes. All the public sees is that it has been given in consultancy fees and talks about talks, for want of a better term.

Certainly there are issues with Bord Gáis Energy taking it over. Many other utility companies were vastly experienced in how we could proceed and had better local knowledge. The fundamental issue is that it has not been justified and we have not established that there is value for money. Who knew what money was being spent and when it was being spent? Why was this shrouded in so much secrecy? Why was the Government so adamant that the Freedom of Information Act should not apply to this body? We need answers because there is major concern among the ordinary punters, including people who have had difficulty with their water supply. The people want to know what the future holds for us for the cost of water. A meeting last night in County Meath discussed the quality of water and the damage that is doing to utilities and so forth in their houses. There is a whole raft of issues, but fundamentally we have questions over the value for the money spent. There were far greater needs for the money that was spent on consultants and as far as I am concerned it has been squandered.

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