Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. I strongly oppose the introduction of water charges, which amount to a new tax on people who are already being hammered and who see 40% of their water supply going into the ground.

That is both an absolute disgrace and a completely inefficient use of the water system.

I am becoming somewhat fed up of the brass neck displayed by those in government who continually state that people must pay for water and that everyone must accept their political ideology. We are already paying for water through taxation. The Government should fix the leaks, create jobs, get on with it and stop pussyfooting around. When I buy a packet of cigarettes, 76% of the money I hand over goes in tax. Annually, this brings approximately €1.2 billion into the Exchequer. The figures I quote in this regard were provided by the Minister for Finance. It is because of the additional tax people are expected to pay that protests in respect of water charges are taking place in areas such as Raheny in my constituency. Water charges are being introduced at a time when hard-pressed taxpayers are already struggling. I am of the view that these charges are going to push many more people into poverty. They are being imposed against a backdrop of continuing job losses, falling incomes, tax increases and the introduction of other charges, including the property tax. The latter is being raided for the purpose of subventing Uisce Éireann.

I am calling for water charges to be scrapped, for the return of control of water services to democratically-elected local authorities, for the provision of a statutory binding commitment to the effect that water services will not be privatised, for the development of an all-Ireland strategy on water provision, for the establishment of a national water sector framework under which the operation of and capital investment in that sector might be governed and for investment in upgrading our aging and leaking water distribution system. I urge all Deputies to support this important motion and oppose water charges, which are nothing more than another tax on the hard-pressed people of this country. The latter are already being both hammered and crucified. What the Minister is doing is not good enough. He needs to up his game and withdraw these charges.

See this speech in context