Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There may have been emotional expense, but considerably less financial expense will be incurred. At least this show, if it can be reduced to such a cynical metaphor, will not bring the company down. We will not have to have outside intervention at the end of it all, hopefully. As with any tragicomedy, there are serious undertones and issues. Water and the necessity of dealing with it are very serious issues. Water is a basic human need.

Deputy Cowen mentioned expense. One of the greatest ignominies suffered by the State was on 8 December 2010 - Deputy Cowen was not here but Deputy Kelleher would have been - when the conditional framework for financial support was agreed with the troika. On 15 December 2010 they all went through the voting lobbies to ensure it was binding on future Governments. Page 9 of the memorandum of understanding states: "We are also planning to move towards full cost recovery in the provision of water services." Page 26 states: "The Government will have undertaken an independent assessment of transfer of responsibility for water services provision from local authorities to a water utility." While I appreciate where Deputy McGuinness is coming from, and the rationale for retaining water services, I remind him that on 15 December 2010 he, along with his colleagues who were in government, voted for that.

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