Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

They bundled them all together with the local authority at the time and the then Department of the Environment, fenced off the sources, put in proper pumps, fixed the leaks, and put a meter on every farm for every trough and for every house. In the first year, those 1,200 houses saved 500 million litres of water. Those people are very happy in the knowledge that they know exactly what they are using and they are paying a hell of a lot less than they used to before. It is about the conservation of water. The more leaks that are fixed, the less treated water is lost and, therefore, the less the cost of producing water. Therefore, one is going to have a much more efficient system.

Deputy Boyd Barrett is a vociferous Deputy who lives in the greater Dublin area. This is a conurbation that needs attention in terms of water. All of these kilometres of pipes that are ruptured and are leaking 40% of the water in them at the moment need to be fixed. In the next 20 years, long after I am gone out of this House, the situation in so far as this, an expanding city, is concerned is that it will need a new major supply of water. It is not going to get it just coming out of the heavens. One has to be able to invest for the future.

I made the point - I think to Deputy Martin - the other day that 1,000 boil water notices went out to Williamstown in east Galway, as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will know, and right over into west Roscommon. There are small schemes with turloughs and poor surface supplies. That needs to be dealt with properly and in a coherent fashion. The solution identified in the longer term is to supply that from Lough Mask, which currently supplies most of south Mayo and off into that region.

That is where we need to be. That is the story that Irish Water will be for the next 50 years - to invest and supply and provide a proper scale of clean water. When major pharma companies decide to site in Ireland, they require huge volumes of water, as do software companies. It is very important for consumers, for business and for industry alike that we have this.

The Deputy asked me about humility and getting it wrong. I would say that we certainly did not get it right, but we did listen to the concerns of the people. In respect of clarity, definition, affordability, fairness, the future, public ownership, first leak, no cut-off and no reduced pressure, all of these things have been answered and dealt with. They are now clarified. The Bill is going through the House. I might add that there has been no guillotine this year, and there will not be any guillotine this year. If the House has to sit Saturday, Sunday and Monday, that is what will happen.

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