Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

There has been a lot of talk in the last few days about communication problems. I am sure many people at home will have been very reassured to hear the Minister, Deputy Kelly, saying earlier that "the brand of Irish Water must be repositioned in the public mind". That will ease people's worries about their inability to pay the water charges. Apparently, the problem is simply that Irish Water has insufficiently communicated how grateful we all should be to pay €500 a year for water, on top of what we already pay. We are being told that if we pay water charges, investment in water infrastructure will automatically increase. We know that the opposite happened in Britain. Contrary to the experience with bin charges and despite people's widespread instinctive understanding, it has been suggested that if water charges are implemented, water charges will not increase and privatisation will not inevitably flow. I would like to make it clear to the Government that it is not the manner in which the latest austerity robbery is taking place that is the real problem. The real problem is the robbery itself. Irish Water, with all the powers it has, is the Frankenstein creation of the Government. Its specific purpose is to impose this bondholders' charge on people and to prepare for privatisation. The communications problem here is a problem of the Government, which is wilfully refusing to listen to the 100,000 people who took to the streets on the Saturday before last, to the people who voted in the by-elections earlier this month, or to the 1 million people, representing two thirds of households, who have refused to send back the so-called application pack.

I would like to spell out the message clearly. Working people across the country do not want these water charges. They do not want some false concessions that will be taken away in the future. They do not want a temporary postponement that will be used to prepare for a more vigorous imposition of these charges in the future. They are demanding the abolition of these water charges and the disbandment of Irish Water. All the indications are that they are prepared to mobilise to achieve that demand. It is extremely significant that 1 million Irish Water forms are still outstanding. There is talk of extending the deadline, but it has already been extended. It was extended on 30 September by the Commission for Energy Regulations in its documents. It is simply a ruse to try to get people into the system. The Government and Irish Water are running scared on this issue. Those who have received the Irish Water forms at home should take confidence.

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