Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, Deputy Cowen, for tabling this motion on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party. We are discussing what is becoming the increasingly discredited super quango, Irish Water. The whole country is furious about this matter. The Government has a Dáil majority of well over 100 Members but I am looking around now and I count only four Members present on the other side. The Government side of the House is not listening - its Members are not even here to listen and there is not a single member of the Government present. It reminds me of last Tuesday evening, the day of the budget. The Ministers delivered their scripts but it was an inconvenience for them to have to come into the House to deliver their scripts because as the Taoiseach said they had to speak to the nation by means of press conferences with the national media. Once they had delivered their scripts they left the Chamber, as did every other Minister and more than 100 Members on the Government side. We were left with four Members from the Government parties to listen to what the Opposition had to say.

The same level of arrogance and contempt for the Chamber is being displayed this evening. It is no wonder the Government is having trouble with Irish Water. The principal reason for this is that it is not listening. It is not listening to the people, to the professional advisers who presented a report on the flawed model with which the Government proceeded, or to the Oireachtas. The longer it tries to run the House like an absentee landlord, the more trouble it will get in.

Only four members of the Government parties out of well over 100 are present, with no member of the Cabinet. It is a repeat of what the Government did last Tuesday. It might do it again next Tuesday and the following Tuesday, but while it can run away from the Oireachtas, it cannot run away from the public in 12 months time or whenever the election is held. Let it be a salutary lesson. Members of the Government parties will wonder why the people will be cross with them. If the people look at this debate, and it should be borne in mind that it is being broadcast on a couple of television stations as we speak, they will see the contempt the Government is showing for the debate on Irish Water. It showed contempt when it established Irish Water. It guillotined the legislation last December and did not allow a debate. It showed contempt. If I were to characterise the performance of the Government on the Irish Water fiasco, I would say one word sums it up, and that is "contempt". The Government has shown it every single step of the way.

The Government has sought in recent days to blame the chief executive. We are not here to defend John Tierney, but he is one of the finest public servants and has an excellent track record at delivering to the detail on Government policy. The reason the Government is unhappy with him is because he is delivering its policy of which it is now ashamed and from which it is trying to run and hide. The running and hiding will stop, because it will have to face the electorate in the ballot box.

The Government blames the management of Irish Water for communication. Not a single issue upsetting the people is the fault of Irish Water. The Government regulator, who is not independent, was given his instructions and procedures to follow and told the parameters by which he could arrive at his decision. The Government regulator set the price. The Government regulator announced the free water allowances. The bonuses were approved by the former Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, who is in the House, because it is part of Bord Gáis and he approved them within Bord Gáis. Ervia, the parent company, also runs Bord Gáis, and Deputy Rabbitte was aware at all stages of the bonus culture in the organisation establishing Irish Water. The former Minister, Mr. Hogan, was the same.

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