Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman for the opportunity to speak on this important debate on water and the proposed changes put forward by the Government. I feel very strongly that the Government has made a complete hames of the whole issue and simply does not get it. It is out of touch, has not listened to the people and does not seem to understand what is going on in broader society and the pain and hurt being suffered by many people.

In recent days new statistics have shown that 28.6% of children in the State are living in poverty. People cannot pay water charges. Last night, almost 1,000 children in the Dublin area were homeless and living in emergency accommodation. Yet, the Government wants to penalise families with another charge of €160 per year. The Government said it would listen to the people, but we did not get clarity. It did not listen, and it should get rid of the water charges. It has made a mockery of incentives and conservation in this debate. There was a massive overspend on things like consultants, while at the same time the plight of our citizens was ignored.

Where was the social impact analysis? Why did it ignore the 40% rate of leakage over the past number of years when it was in power? It starved local authorities of investment and proper infrastructure and is now blaming others for its lack of action. We need to get off the stage and listen to the people. Today there are concerns that the Government got its sums wrong in regard to the EU rules, something which has to be highlighted. It is a major warning to the Government not to cock up again on this issue.

The Government said it is listening, but it still does not get it. A Minister referred to his legacy yesterday, and then left the Dáil Chamber during the debate on an important issue.

We have also seen the boards being packed with insiders. Instead, the Government should have been implementing reform, competence and accountability. It is no wonder people are angry. On top of all of this, some €500 million that should have been spent on repairing leaks in the system or dealing with raw sewage going into our rivers is being spent on water meters.

What is going on is a national scandal. Do not talk to me about public money and its use. Some €500 million is being spent on water meters and €400 million is provided in tax breaks in the budget for the well off. That is the cause of the anger and the Minister needs to understand that and choose instead to look after families that are suffering. The people understand and get what is happening. There are different rules for different people, but the citizen is hammered. That is what is at the heart of this debate.

The issues of clean water, sanitation and public health have been ignored in this debate, yet public health and clean water are key issues. Since the 19th century, the provision of clean water and sanitation have been regarded as an essential aspect in the prevention of communicable disease. This remains the starting point for any public health programme designed for low income countries today. Irish policymakers seem to be largely unaware of the public health implications of imposing a kind of poll tax on the supply of clean water. If a state does not supply people with good quality clean water, it is not implementing a good health policy.

Let me give an example of some major concerns in this regard. In the Marino area there are major concerns about the lead pipes that run into the pre-1952 houses. Local residents are concerned that lead from these pipes will seep into their water supply. This would be dangerous for our elderly, families and young people. We also have major water problems in the Clontarf area, in Killester and in Donnycarney.

Many Members have spoken about the protests. I attended peaceful protests in Donnycarney, Edenmore, Donaghmede and Kilbarrack at which there was not one sign of violence or intimidation. Of course, I deplore what happened to the Minister last Saturday. That was unacceptable. However, I equally deplore any assaults on protesters, such as the incident outside the Mansion House. Where the Government loses the moral and ethical argument is where it is critical of one side only. Any kind of violence or intimidation is unacceptable. Throwing a protester against a barrier is not acceptable. Silence on the part of the Government in this regard is also unacceptable. I deplore all acts of intimidation or violence. I also deplore the use of pepper spray on young people by gardaí. There seems to be some confusion on whether this occurred. Was pepper spray used? Also, was the individual seen throwing a brick in a photograph charged. We must speak about these issues openly and honestly. We all support democratic protests and agree that people should be free from intimidation. However, we must remain fair minded and level headed.

To return to the debate on water, one of the concerns of the Government is what is going on in the broader society. One of the main reasons people are angry is that Fine Gael and the Labour Party said at different stages over the past ten years that they opposed water charges. New colleagues here, like Deputy Paul Connaughton and others, never said that, but the older generation in Fine Gael and the Labour Party said they strongly opposed taxes on people's homes and water charges. The fact they have changed their minds gets up people's noses. I agree we must deal with the infrastructural issues and problems, but we should remember that since the foundation of the State, this has been done from the broader taxation base.

I am strongly opposed to the proposals on the table and will fight strongly on the issues over the next couple of weeks.

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