Dáil debates

Tuesday, 21 October 2014

Irish Water: Motion [Private Members]

 

8:10 pm

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

Deputy Rabbitte was aware of the bonus culture. I did not ask him whether he signed up to the jocose bonus culture we now have, whereby even those who do not do their work or show up will receive a bonus. If he had inquired, which was his job, about what bonus regime was in place in Bord Gáis, he would have known what would follow into Irish Water. The Tánaiste, Deputy Joan Burton, signed up to the fiasco with regard to the PPS numbers, because Irish Water will consult the Department of Social Protection, which is responsible for PPS numbers. This could not have been done without the Minister having agreed to it. We asked time and again for Irish Water to be included under the freedom of information legislation. A third Labour Party Minister, Deputy Howlin, refused to do this, but eventually he was forced to do so. The former Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, knew about the bonus culture in Bord Gáis, which is running this operation. The Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, approved the PPS arrangement whereby people must include the PPS numbers on the application forms. The Minister, Deputy Howlin, tried to keep it from being subject to the freedom of information legislation by establishing it as a semi-State company.

The possible privatisation of Irish Water is a live issue which upsets the people. I find one sentence in the Government amendment to the motion grossly hypocritical. It states the Government recognises the legislation establishing Irish Water prohibits the privatisation of the company. One vote, one guillotine and one whim of the Government can change this outright overnight. Members of the Government know all it takes is for the Government to come in some fine day and change it. This was voted in without the Opposition present. The Government did not allow a debate and the Opposition could only do what it could, which was leave the Chamber, after which the Government proceeded with a guillotine. A simple vote of the Government can change what is in the legislation. Any assurance from the Government that it will not privatise Irish Water counts for nothing because it only holds for as long as the vote lasts, and at a future date a Fine Gael Government will try to privatise Irish Water.

The people are returning to sender their application forms for their free allowance en masse, and there are not just boxloads of them in post offices throughout the country. I had it confirmed to me this morning that pallet loads of forms with "return to sender" on them, returned by the people, are in An Post sorting offices throughout the country. This is what the people think of what the Government is doing.

Measures on tax credits and social protection were announced last week in the budget. Despite these hasty measures, many people were left out. Those who do not pay income tax or who are on low incomes are excluded, as are people who lose their jobs and receive jobseeker's allowance. How did the Tánaiste, Deputy Joan Burton, come in here and tell the people if they lose their job and go on jobseeker's allowance they will not receive any allowance because they are not in receipt of the fuel allowance? Only people on long-term jobseeker's allowance receive this and those out of work for up to 12 or 14 months will not be able to avail of it.

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Kelly, to the House. We now have five Members of the Government parties out of more than 100, and at least one member of the Cabinet has shown up at this late stage.

The people have lost confidence in Irish Water. The Minister is presiding over this floundering around him. It is not too late to go back to the drawing board. A key measure left out of the legislation from the very beginning is recognition of the ability of people to pay. The Government's ham-fisted efforts last week were panic-driven because of the people it saw on the streets the previous weekend. This is only making the people angrier.

The only thing Irish Water has done since being established is to spend €500 million on installing meters and €180 million on consultants and a billing system. Irish Water is not spending one additional euro on investment in the network or water and sewage treatment plants compared with what was spent the previous year by the local authorities - not one single euro. When one considers the amount that subsidies will cost taxpayers, through tax credits and people receiving social welfare allowances, the net income of Irish Water will only be approximately €175 million per annum. It will take four years to recoup the funds invested in the meters, consultants and the billing system based on the revenue from the domestic charges the Government hopes people will pay next year. This is assuming a relatively high number of people pay their bills. The Government is threatening the financial viability of Irish Water, and in doing so it will have to recoup the cost over the coming years and less will be spent on the infrastructure rather than more, which is needed.

Fianna Fáil is telling the Government it is not too late to go back to the drawing board. It should do so now. We are stating clearly and unambiguously that it is time for a comprehensive review on the role and performance of Irish Water in its entirety. Do not rule out closing down that ugly shop.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.