Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There are many ways to raise funding and many ways to do things. The Fine Gael Party, not in any context of the prevailing situation, believed in establishing a whole range of utilities. This was in its NewERA document, which the current Minister, Deputy Coveney, developed at that time. I do not know who worked with him to develop those ideas, but they were very strong and bullish about it. To be fair, they also said that local authorities would act as agents for Irish Water in maintaining and upgrading water infrastructure. In other words, the delivery system remains within the local authorities despite the incredible edifice that has been established at a start-up cost of €650 million.

I asked the Tánaiste a very simple question. We have had four ways of assessing water charges. This is the 16th day on which water charges have been imposed and many are still hopelessly confused about what the bills will. Some of the water metering process is of a dubious nature because, from what we are told, some people will not even be able to read their meters. The bottom line is that all it is, in revenue terms, is €150 million; that is the net amount that will be raised. It has caused huge issues within local authorities which will have legacy issues to deal with down the line in terms of pension payments. The bottom line is that the Government must stand back and ask a very simple and basic question. Is it worth it? Is the establishment of Irish Water worth all of the challenges and the extraordinary expense involved in setting up a gold-plated bureaucracy?

I have the figures from EIRVIA. The Taoiseach told the Dáil last week that no bonuses had been paid to Irish Water staff. The Tánaiste might clarify for me or obtain clarification for me because EIRVIA has certainly paid out over €5 million to about 900 staff in 2014. Last year, it had 500 staff on the books. I need clarification as to whether that figure includes personnel within Irish Water. The Tánaiste may not have the information at her disposal, but will she undertake to get it for me? However, the basic question I am putting to her is whether all of this - the €650 million in start-up costs and more - is worth the €150 million in net revenue? Surely it could have been done in a much easier way with greater compliance from the public who would have engaged in a far more supportive way in the context of the Irish Water debacle? I am not using the word "debacle"; it relates to comments made by the former Minister of State, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, who established Irish Water. Words failed him in describing it and he was involved in setting it up.

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