Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all speakers for their contributions to this debate, both expected and unexpected. I was mildly surprised at some of the earlier contributions and the weight of those contributions will be judged in the next minutes.

In my contribution on Tuesday I said this process had been, as Deputy O'Dowd said, an unmitigated disaster. The democratic process was usurped by the Economic Management Council comprised of the Taoiseach, the Ministers, Deputy Noonan and Deputy Howlin, and the Tánaiste. Anyone who stood in the way of that policy decision and the means by which the funding would be allocated to put it in place, was steamrolled. Notwithstanding the advice of the PwC report commissioned by the same Government and notwithstanding the advice of the Opposition, this Fine Gael and Labour Party Government proceeded with that Fine Gael policy contained in the 2009 NewERA document, which set up Irish Water and transferred the assets worth €11 billion into its ownership.

A gold-plated, bonus-driven super-quango has materialised into the animal that many of us envisaged. The Government policy direction to Irish Water is rebounding and many of the Deputies in the Government parties realise the error of their ways. They realise that this very issue could rid them of their seats. They realise that they have shown blind allegiance to their superiors. Now they have to shift the blame from their superiors and instead blame Irish Water, its staff, its board and the chief executive officer. As Deputy Calleary said, it is everyone's fault bar their own.

The Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, in his contribution on Tuesday night gave the Civil Service-speak and talked about the so-called under-investment in the previous years but he failed to acknowledge that €4.6 billion was spent in the first decade of this century. I agree there has not been sufficient investment and there needs to be more. The archaic system was built long before any of us arrived and long before this State was formed-----

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