Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

-----perhaps he might, in the interests of openness and transparency, publish the details relating to the deal.

It has been stated on many occasions that a problem exists in the context of water infrastructure. The Dublin region is on a knife edge. It has no spare capacity and future growth is going to increase pressure on the system. Throughout the country up to 40% of water is being lost through leakages. In Dublin, the figure is 28%. A previous speaker referred to the fact that leaky pipes are not being replaced in certain areas which are not too far from this House. I welcome the fact that several kilometres of pipes in which leaks were found were replaced in recent years in the Dublin South-East constituency, particularly as this has given rise to an improvement in water pressure. Most of the water that is lost through leaks disappears as a result of faults in the connection between the main supply and people's houses. This is why I welcome the fact that from now on - and for the very first time - leaks in connections to private property will be fixed. This is extremely welcome because it will be both cost effective and will lead to money and water being saved.

We are investing - but not sufficiently - in water. With the establishment of Irish Water we will be able to double the annual investment in infrastructure. In the short term, we will be obliged to invest approximately €10 billion in the water system in order that we might ameliorate problems in Roscommon, where 19,000 boil notices have been issued to people, and Dublin, where in the past two years it was necessary for water rationing measures, which remained in place for up to six weeks, to be introduced on three occasions. It would be easy to present that down the road everything will be fine. However, we must plan now for the economic growth that will occur by 2020 and that will provide the jobs of tomorrow.

This is a complex issue. However, the Government has acted in order to ensure that every householder will receive a free allowance and that water charges will not apply to children and that older people living alone, those with large families or people with serious medical conditions will be protected. We recognise that families are hard pressed and that is why the Labour Party in government has fought for these measures. Holiday homes and properties that are not permanently occupied will be subject to a standing charge. This recognises the cost of providing the network infrastructure.

I take this opportunity to travel back in time to 2010. Unfortunately, Deputy Martin has left the Chamber but I am sure he would recall the national recovery plan which was agreed by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party and which incorporated the EU-IMF memorandum of understanding. Under this plan, those who were in government in 2010 mortgaged the country and committed their successors to introducing water charges by 2014. It is a bit rich for Eamon Ryan of the Green Party to state that when he signed the bailout agreement, he expected the Labour Party to veto water charges when it entered power. Mr. Ryan seems to have completely forgotten that the Green Party requested and secured the introduction of water charges in 2009 when it renegotiated its programme for Government with Fianna Fáil. What is clear is that both Fianna Fáil and the Green Party were in favour of water charges in 2009. They were so in favour of them that they made their introduction a condition of the EU-IMF bailout. It should not be forgotten that Eamon Ryan and Deputy Martin were both members of the Cabinet which signed off on the 2009 deal which led us into the bailout. When the current Administration took power, Fianna Fáil promised to provide responsible opposition. Now, however, it has returned to its usual trick of shouting loudest. The latter was probably prompted by the party's fear of Sinn Féin. If those in Fianna Fáil cannot even remember their policy on water charges, then it is easy to understand why they cannot recall who they asked to run for the party in Blackrock in the local elections. Perhaps Deputy Martin and Eamon Ryan should ask Mary Hanafin, who served in Cabinet with them, what was the previous Government's policy on water from 2009 onwards. Fianna Fáil does not want to allow any of its previous Cabinet Ministers back onto the pitch.

Deputy Michael McGrath has been a very good spokesperson on finance. When this Dáil first convened, he stated that his party would not engage in any tricks. I recall that he spoke in a very constructive fashion when the deal on the promissory notes was announced.

See this speech in context