Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last January when I wrote in a newspaper on the water issue, I made the point that access to water was a fundamental right. Water was being treated as a commodity from which profits could be made. There is no doubt that the manner in which Irish Water was set up was a debacle similar to the debacles that ensued following the setting up of the DART, the Luas, the national children's hospital, some motorway and the Poolbeg incinerator projects. In all of these cases the common denominators were massive overspending and the waste of public money. We can see how much has already been spent on Irish Water and one could be forgiven for asking how many accountants and lawyers does it take to set up Irish Water. Ní raibh airgead ann i gcomhair na fadhbanna a réiteach, ach bhí airgead ann i gcomhair na dlíodóirí agus na cuntasóirí.

Bonuses and consultancies were at the top of the agenda and this was all organised and decided before Irish Water provided any service. It was always obvious where the priorities lay regarding Irish Water. While these bonuses and fees were being decided and paid, I met people who had asked Irish Water questions but had received no answers. Questions were raised about payments and the fact that people with illnesses might have a greater than average need for water. Some people have dependent adult children who might be unemployed or in full-time education. Questions have been asked about allowances and what they will cover - people wanted to know how many minutes a shower should take and how often the toilet could be flushed. They wanted to know what the allowances would be for people with gardens, allotments and pets. Serious issues were raised about PPS numbers, while concerns were expressed about meters and problems with shared meters. People living in apartments were anxious and the same applied to those living in rural areas and on islands because they were all paying for water schemes. There are examples in rural Ireland of very good water schemes.

People do pay for them but they are getting an efficient service, the amount is nominal and the people who pay are the ones who have the say; they are the decision-makers. Was there any question of doing a social impact analysis to see the effects of what is being proposed? These were all genuine concerns expressed by people but there were no answers to these questions. One could easily think it was like a scene from a Laurel and Hardy film: "Another fine mess you've got me into." If ever there was an exercise in how not to do something, certainly the establishment of Irish Water was it.

People have been protesting for a variety of reasons. Some people are against the principle of paying for water. Some people simply cannot pay because basically they cannot afford it. They will not be happy with what we heard today. Other people in turn were protesting at the entity that is Irish Water, because of its inefficiency and ineptitude and the gross arrogance of the way in which it was doing its business.

Is cinnte go bhfuil fadhbanna ag baint le cúrsaí uisce sa tír seo. Tá na fadhbanna sin againn le blianta anuas. We know some of the problems. Every beach in this country should have a blue flag, because we have fabulous beaches, but they do not have blue flags. Areas in central Dublin and other parts of the country have systems that are antiquated and leaking and we all know about the poor quality of water. We have had water shortages, last summer in particular. Then, there is the spectre of potential privatisation. That is a real fear. While the Government might maintain it is committed to no privatisation, people do not believe it. Regardless of what the Government says there is a real possibility of a future scenario involving the privatisation of Irish Water were it to become insolvent.

Some people waste water and we also have the problem of leaking pipes and the extent to which water is lost. It is a poor system and the infrastructure is poor but this system and the infrastructure has been in place for years. The problems did not arise overnight. Where were the possible solutions in the past? They were missing.

I have met people who agree with paying for water and there are others who can afford to pay. Some people are willing to contribute because Irish people are generous and they are prepared to contribute to ensure we have a better service and to solve the problems. Some people may have been satisfied with where the Government was starting today and with what it was proposing, but the Government has lost that ground because it has put the cart before the horse.

Regardless of whether we agree with water charges some serious issues still have not been addressed as of today. The basic serious issue is with Irish Water. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government said in his speech that the local authorities could not have done that. Furthermore, he said insufficient resources had been put into our local authorities over the years in this area and that they could have done a far better job than what we have seen to date from Irish Water. I am unsure how Irish Water can continue. It is an overpriced quango and we need to go back to the drawing board for a viable organisation like the local authorities which can do this. I recommend those in government read an article by Dr. Tom McDonnell from the Nevin Economic Research Institute. He has set out some viable options for a system of water provision. We have to keep human beings in mind and not simply customers and profits. Since Ireland is totally supportive of the developing world having access to clean water at no cost, our citizens deserve the same.

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