Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If the Deputy comes from the commercial side of the business sector, then I suggest he needs to get his facts right. The fact is the Irish water system is, in many cases, entirely deficient. It has suffered as a result of a lack of infrastructural investment for many years. That is why, as a result of their being 34 different local authorities, there are gross inconsistencies in standards. It is also why the population of this city was so anxious and concerned just prior to Christmas when difficulties were experienced at the Poulaphouca facility, which is near where the Deputy resides.

It is not the case that Irish Water will be a bloated monster for 12 years. Deputy Donnelly has taken the same view as that expressed by a respected economist yesterday to the effect that Irish Water will have the same staff headcount in 2025 as it does now. That will not be the case. When the Government publishes its financial and business model in respect of this matter, the Deputy will be able to argue his case. That model will demonstrate that a reduction of up to 50% will take place within ten years. If one is going to make an investment in respect of something as large as this in order to deal with the scale of the challenge our country faces, one must invest sufficiently to get it right. There is no point in investing and ending up with an inferior product. If a water main in Wicklow bursts at present, Irish Water does not have the information with regard to the location of the various connections and weaknesses in the system. That information has resided with the various local authorities for many years. It is for this reason that contracts are being signed with the local authorities in respect of the provision of the relevant services.

Deputy Donnelly should not state that people will be paid for doing nothing. If he is truthful to himself, he should state that, in order to reduce costs within three years, he proposes that in the region of 1,800 county council workers should be sacked. If that is what he is proposing, then he should say so.

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