Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There was one part, only one part, of Deputy Coonan's contribution with which I agree: yesterday was a good day for Ireland. It was a day when the people created their own democratic revolution. The Taoiseach and the Government parties unwittingly brought this about. The democratic revolution which was promised and referred to by the Taoiseach is now in the far safer hands of the people. Major credit should go to the Right2Water campaign for organising the hundreds of thousands of people who took to the streets throughout the country demanding that water charges be scrapped. We forget that most of these demonstrations were altogether peaceful, indeed, some of them were joyful. They got the message across, but peacefully.

The campaign has tackled the blatant arrogance displayed by this Government, which took the view that it could impose these unfair charges on the people and that the people would quietly consent to them. The Right2Water campaign is a fine example of people power allowing ordinary people throughout the country a voice and clearly shaking the Government into action. We now know that people can make this Government listen when Government party backbenchers and Ministers could not.

The way in which Irish Water was formed means the Government's action yesterday is only a game of smoke and mirrors. The Government hopes that once people sign up Irish Water can begin to raise its charges. The rates announced by Government will not last long. The Government has been building up this announcement on Irish Water for the past four weeks. It is a desperate attempt to cling to power. Fine Gael and the Labour Party are frightened of hitting the doorsteps with the spectre of Irish Water hanging over their heads.

They know they are wrong but seem unwilling to make the final leap towards rectifying this situation by scrapping water charges and Irish Water.

Irish Water will take in about €100 million in water charges in 2015 and approximately €130 million in 2016. Irish Water would have to increase the charges it is placing on households substantially in order to be sustainable. The Government announcement was spin and an attempt to buy more time. Despite the huffing and puffing and legacy-claiming by some on the Government benches yesterday, certain hard facts remain. The Government is pressing ahead with charging domestic households for water. The water metering programme, which has resulted in the invasion of privacy and disruption of people's lives will continue unabated. The meters will be used to charge people into the future.

Has anybody looked at how much it will cost to replace meters that are two or three years old with new ones? Why are we using a type of meter that is unfit for the traffic that will travel over them? They will have to be replaced within a couple of years. I hope I will not be accused of parish pump politics, but I ask if it is the intention of Irish Water to shut down the lovely institution of the community water pump in our villages.

Irish Water has already soaked up a massive amount of public funding. The National Pension Reserve Fund was raided of €530 million, which it is unlikely Irish Water will repay any time soon. Consultants were paid €80 million to advise on the establishment of Irish Water. It is not unfair to note that they must be among the worst advisors in the world history of advising.

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