Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach said he could not speak for Mr. McNicholas. I did not ask him to speak for Mr. McNicholas. I asked the Taoiseach to say whether he thinks it is satisfactory that the man who heads up Irish Water's parent company owns significant shares in a company that is set to make millions from Irish Water contracts. It is very simple. Does the Taoiseach accept that this is a satisfactory situation? He may also know that more than 17,000 people who returned their packs to Irish Water did so without filling them in. That was an act of peaceful and democratic protest by them against water charges. It is part of a real democratic revolution. They made it clear that they did not want to be customers of Irish Water, but Irish Water signed them up against their will in an act of extreme arrogance that was characteristic of this Government and of the company. Can the Taoiseach tell us whether the behaviour of a man who has a huge number of shares, worth €1 million, and is set to earn money from this whole project is appropriate and satisfactory? Does he believe that Irish Water's appropriation of the names and addresses of citizens who are clearly opposed to water charges, in order to sign them up for water charges, is legitimate or fair? Would it even stand up to Irish contract law?

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