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

It is not that we are saying the Government is not listening but rather the people are saying the Government is not listening. That is the difference. We have tried to bring the issue to the Chamber over the past number of months but the Government has not listened.

The Members opposite have witnessed the people's anger and determination to reject water charges and a blueprint for privatisation. This mass movement of citizens has frightened the life out of the Government and it has responded by trying to split the movement. That is what the announced measures are meant to achieve. We first saw a pathetic attempt by the leader of the Labour Party to portray the protests by ordinary citizens against metering in their estates as not being genuine and being organised by outsiders. That was absolutely untrue. Deputy Wallace has referred to the issue and in Clanbrassil Close, a small estate of 24 houses off Clanbrassil Street, Irish Water and GMC Sierra arrived to fit water meters with 21 gardaí. How should that affect the people in that cul-de-sac?

This was an act of provocation and after three days the inspector wrote to the Garda Commissioner requesting more gardaí and resolving not to return if they were not assigned. The inspector did not want to put workers and citizens in the area in jeopardy.

The concessions outlined today are aimed at splitting the Opposition. The tactic is to sit it out, get people used to paying, get the general election out of the way and return to the real strategy of full recovery in 2019. This will not work as people trust neither the Government nor the political establishment. The Government must get the message because serious developments are taking place in communities. The establishment has let people down and it has lost people's trust on this matter due to the issues of cost and privatisation. I will seek to maximise the turnout on 10 December and will work to convince people that mass non-registration and non-payment will defeat these charges. Defeating the concept of turning a public service into a commercial entity is the only secure guarantee against future privatisation.

My final point relates to water conservation. In his speech the Minister said he is tired of declaring that leaks will be fixed before metering starts but a pertinent point was made on this by Deputy Wallace. I do not have a water meter and if a leak occurs I will have to fix it - the same applies to many people. The Minister will be aware of a programme in Cork where the local authority installs district meters as a way of monitoring water flow and detecting leaks. Such a programme of district water meters could be implemented nationally at a fraction of the €530 million cost of the Irish Water metering programme.

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