Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am not going to harp on about Irish Water. We know that its public relations set-up and everything else about it has been in trouble from its very concept. It is really a farce. As I listened to the debate all night, I heard everybody talking about water. We have got to realise that if we talk about water as a commodity, we are going down a dangerous road. The service of water is what we should be on about. As the chairman of a group water scheme, I put in meters along with the rest of the committee ten years ago. We found that to be a great success in conserving water. The first thing one must do before one talks about charging for water is get water quality right. When I was in Cloonfad, Ballaghaderreen, Boyle and Strokestown yesterday evening, there was not one glass of water. I have often taken water out of a bog hole to put into a machine that was of a better quality than the water those people are being asked to drink.

I can see a few problems that need to be addressed straightaway as part of the whole water debacle.

9 o’clock

People do not want to give their PPS numbers. The Minister should declare that Jack, Tom, Mary, Keith or whatever the person's name is fine for filling in the forms.

Proper allowances are needed. After ten years of working on a voluntary water scheme, the Government has decided to cut the amount of water that people need to meet their basic human rights. A family of two adults and two children needs approximately 140 cu. m. The system's administration will cost a great deal of money, as it involves the Government spending on social welfare payments to which people are entitled as well as on the Revenue staff engaged in it. This is like asking someone to buy a crashed car for what the full price would be were it fixed.

Another problem came to my attention today. Where there is no supply of water from Irish Water and people are boring private wells, a new requirement has been included in their planning permissions by local councils whereby they must connect to the network when Irish Water eventually comes to the area. This is wrong. Account must also be taken of rainwater harvesting. Be it for six months or a year, the Government should stand back, get this project right, ensure that people are treated right and listen to them.

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