Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to this Private Members' motion. Several points on political expediency should be highlighted. True to the Taoiseach's commitment, we said we would outline the details of the average charge for water before the local and European elections and we have now done so. I greatly welcome this. If Members across the Chamber were in power, I imagine there would be far more sleight-of-hand, as we have seen in the past, in how they faced up to these matters. Before the last general election, we in Fine Gael were very open about the need for water charges and a local property tax and, knowing this, the people voted for us. I welcome the introduction of a free allowance of 30,000 litres per household and the additional allowance to cover normal water consumption for children under 18 years. Effectively, this means that water charges will not apply to children. The free first fix scheme announced for households, as well as the accelerated metering programme, are also welcome.

What we have is a history of vast under-investment. Fianna Fáil has placed this motion before the House, but the previous Government carries a great deal of culpability, given the years of under-investment in water services. Someone said to me recently that we had great motorways and roads and asked why the same investment had not been made in the water system. The comment was made that one could cut a ribbon when a road was opened and that everyone could see it, but if one were to pump all of the money into underground pipes, the political return would not be as much of a hit as those in Fianna Fáil would like. Therefore, it did not invest and we now have a litany of problems. There are problems in my constituency, Kildare South, as a result.

Kildare town still needs a network. I will lobby for that to be part of the Irish Water work programme. Osberstown has finally received €32 million - I thank the Minister for his investment - for its plant and network, but the Newbridge interceptor sewer also needs to be upgraded. The Ballitore treatment plant is close to my home. Last year, the Minister, Deputy Hogan, gave us €178,000 for a rising main from the new school in the small community of Crookstown, itself a €4 million investment by the Department of Education and Skills. That main links us to the Ballitore treatment plant, which needs significant investment and is not operational. In an estate in Millbrook, Timolin, raw sewage has been flowing out onto a footpath for years. Kildare County Council has spent a fortune in emergency measure funding to empty those tanks. That is dead money now. Following the announcement last week by the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, we received a slice of €10 million to address that problem.

We are firefighting, because these issues occur all over the country. We must tackle them by ensuring proper investment. The best way of doing so is to increase expenditure so we might invest in our infrastructure, which has been neglected for a long time.

I welcome the capping of charges for people with high water usage rates due to certain medical conditions. A constituent who is on home haemodialysis and uses up to 1,000 litres of water per week approached me. There are approximately 45 or 50 similar cases around the country. I do not doubt that the Minister will ensure adequate allowances are provided in such special cases. A constituent with prostate cancer who needs to bathe regularly also got in touch with me. We need to show flexibility and care in such circumstances.

As a farmer whose land gets water from Poulaphouca, I pay whenever my cattle drink water. I have been paying water bills to Kildare County Council for a number of years. Likewise the shops, pubs, restaurants and industry in my area. It is right and proper that everyone should share the burden of paying for what is an important resource for all of us.

I have raised a concern about Irish Water's establishment with the Minister a number of times. Kildare County Council has stopped processing taken-in-charge estates in the belief that the Irish Water legislation prevents it from doing so. I do not accept that the situation is so cut and dry. The protocols are due out shortly and I hope they arrive as quickly as possible, but I encourage the council to progress the taking in charge of estates. This is necessary.

Deputy Connaughton referred to power and water, our two most significant issues and the toughest that politics has had to address in recent months. Whenever a new manufacturer, pharmaceutical company or other industry is determining whether to set up in an area, it looks for water and power. We are addressing these infrastructural issues.

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