Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy rightly points out, many parts of the country do not have an adequate water supply. As nearly 40% of that water is leaking away, it is necessary to invest in a modern 21st-century water system to deliver for jobs, families and everyone. This must be done through charges to generate the revenue to make the investment. The Government's approach has been to establish a State company that will roll out that investment. This was a choice the Government made, which the Deputy opposed. However, it is the right choice. Every country in the world regards water as an important resource in which one must invest and that one must manage properly, which is what the Government is doing. However, the Government also has built into that system genuine reliefs for people who are in difficulty. Those who are in receipt of the household benefit package will get €100 in relief taken from their bill, children who qualify for child benefit will get a free allowance and people with medical conditions will have their payments capped. Consequently, the Government has rolled out a system that is fair but correct. It is the right approach that needs to be taken and we must embed the recovery to be able to enjoy the fruits of the sacrifices people have been obliged to make in recent years.

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