Dáil debates

Thursday, 20 November 2014

Water Sector Reforms: Motion (Resumed)

 

6:15 pm

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My colleague on my left will mind it for me. He knows what it is. I am just making the point that the Government will not listen.

I have tabled two parliamentary questions and I have been told untruths and given misleading information that there were no meters in the boxes. While I have not counted them, there are around 600 of them. We will see what happens when I visit the location with Irish Water staff next Monday. This is a shambles from start to finish and has nothing to do with conserving water. An unholy mess has been visited on people, and Irish Water should never have been established.

Three hours were allowed for the debate on the Bill to establish Irish Water. On that occasion, I made a short comment in which I indicated that the only thing I liked about Irish Water was the name, Uisce Éireann, because I like a little Gaeilge. Other than that, Irish Water is a monster that is out of control. It is like a wild animal in the woods because nobody knows where it will end up. I know some people with considerable expertise who have started work for Irish Water and I feel sorry for them.

The matter has been badly handled. For example, we heard that representatives of Irish Water would meet Deputies in the House last week and again this evening. I learned from news reports that they were in the House. I have never met Irish Water staff here, although I will meet them in Mullinahone when I expect to see some red faces as they explain the reason for destroying 600 water meters. When I was asked how much each meter cost I was informed that such information was commercially sensitive. The national figure provided was that cost of the meters was €594 million, plus VAT. Ordinary people are being put to the pin of their collars as they try to put food on the table.

I salute members of group water schemes and the pioneers who developed them. I am glad those with wells will receive the grant of €100 because they need to be supported. Why should they pay for everything?

I also salute the council staff who developed water schemes. One could be forgiven for believing that we had no water schemes, pipes or reservoirs until Irish Water was established. Damn good services were supplied by many good people over the years. We did not hand them over to this quango to have them wrecked, abused and hijacked.

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