Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to speak on this important issue. One might have said the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, was Santa Claus arrived five weeks early to the Chamber yesterday, giving away money here and there while totally undermining the whole system that was supposed to run under Irish Water. The capped charge will be €160 for a single-adult household and €260 for a household of two adults or more until 1 January 2019. The question, however, is what will happen after that date. Who knows if I or the Minister or anybody else will be here in 2019. Nothing is written in stone. We must have clarification in that regard.

All eligible households will receive a water conservation grant of €100 per year. We all know, however, that conservation is the last priority for Uisce Éireann and the Government. It is all about a revenue stream. I am surprised Revenue has not got its hand on collection of the money, although it may do so yet. The net cost to a single-adult household will be €60, while other households will be charged more than €160. This takes no account whatsoever of ability to pay. A person on a large income will pay exactly the same as somebody earning the minimum wage or a person in receipt of unemployment benefit. How is that fair? Members on the other side of the House seem to have a different social compass from ours.

Another important issue is what happens when water is unfit for human consumption. There have been problems in this regard in my own area for 20 years. The former Minister of State, Brian Hayes, announced a water scheme 12 months ago but pen was never put to paper. Mr. Hayes is no longer here to answer my questions. He is in far-off lands at this time.

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