Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, indicated in 2011 that the Government would not install water meters when there were still leaks in the system but it did. The water must be paid for and nobody is stupid; the Taoiseach should not treat people as if they are stupid. The water has been paid for to date and we need it to be paid for through a progressive tax system. The proposed charges are a major burden on families and they cannot pay what they are being asked to pay. There could be a 1% wealth tax on shares; land, excluding farms; and property, excluding the family home, valued in excess of €1 million. The Department of Finance has indicated that this would bring in €500 million, so the Taoiseach can start there.

Some 2% of VAT and 4% of motor tax has brought in €1.2 billion per year for investment in water facilities but that was not used for that purpose. Those local authorities over the past 20 years were dominated by Fianna Fáil, the Labour Party and Fine Gael but they did not deal with issues of investment in water. I ask the Taoiseach to abolish the water tax. If he does not, the Government will be held to account by the people. It will have to go before the electorate.

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