Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to make a final appeal to the Minister, Deputy Kelly, to withdraw the Bill, to abolish Irish Water and to get rid of water charges and taxes. The Minister comes from a real Labour movement background. After yesterday's protest and in view of the huge turnouts at the previous protests, he cannot be unaware of the intense anger and deep concern among people. In large part, the protest which took place outside Leinster House yesterday was organised by fantastic trade unions such as Mandate and UNITE. Of course, SIPTU - finally and belatedly - came on board. As I stated many months ago, the introduction of water charges is the straw that broke the camel's back. People are sick and tired of the austerity policies put in place by this Government, which I could never support, and that which preceded since 2010. They want this matter over and done with.

I support Deputy Cowen in his efforts to have section 3 deleted from the Bill. The Bill with which we have been presented is basically a political public relations, PR, exercise. It is an attempt to remove this crucial issue from the agenda in 2015 during the run-in to the next general election. The Minister should be aware that his Fine Gael ministerial colleagues, who are adept in this regard, are going to pull the plug on the Government and send out hapless Labour Party backbenchers to meet a terrible fate at the hands of their constituents. This PR-style Bill is also an attempt to smooth the rough edges in the hope that the Government will somehow "get away with it" on this issue. Unfortunately, the reality is that the damage has already been done. As I informed the Minister a few weeks ago, Irish Water is a toxic brand. There is no future for it. Following the next general election and regardless of the combination of parties, etc., involved, we hope that a progressive government will rise to lead the State either in late 2015 or early 2016. Whatever happens, Irish Water will not survive and neither will water charges.

I have received a steady stream of e-mails regarding the Minister's potential role in respect of the European water directive. I understand the Minister has the authority to ensure that Ireland's famous Article 9 exemption will be maintained. We received legal documentation from individuals who follow European affairs very closely which indicates that Ireland does have such an exemption. Many countries have exemptions. A number of people stated that only Azerbaijan and Ireland do not have water charges. Why should Ireland have water taxes? Do we want to be like Azerbaijan? It is an interesting and, I hope, progressive state but it does not have water charges. Countries across the board have exemptions in different areas. We have an exemption in respect of water because the then Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, had previously been a member of Dublin City Council and had witnessed the ferocious and relentless opposition of the people of the city to water taxes. We fought against those taxes and we defeated those who proposed them. We will also defeat the Minister and his Government if they continue with this crazy policy. The former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, decided not to proceed with water taxes and he obtained an exemption. It seems, from the legal advice we received, that the Minister has a particular role to play before the end of the year in terms of ensuring that the exemption will remain in place. The UK has major exemptions in respect of the contributions it makes to Europe and in many other areas. Why should Ireland not have its own exemption?

Earlier today, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, referred to Ireland's reputation in Europe, etc. In recent days, The Guardianpublished two articles by Martin Wolf, a professor of economics from Harvard University, in which he highlighted the fact that when people say Greece they also say Ireland, when the say Portugal they also say Ireland and when they say Spain they also say Ireland. In other words, they are referring to the periphery. What Martin Wolf is saying is that Ireland has been hammered - the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, forgot to mention this - with a national debt of €230 billion. It must be remembered that this Government is leaving that appalling debt to this country. Professor Wolf is of the view that something major must be done for Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain. He is also of the view that Germany and Chancellor Merkel, who was re-elected as leader of the conservative forces in Europe in recent days, must face up to their responsibilities.

I have known and worked with the Minister, Deputy Kelly, for many years since he became a leading figure in Labour Youth. I appeal to him to abolish the quango that is Irish Water and water taxes. I very much support what the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Ann Phelan, and various other Members are trying to do in respect of the rural economy. However, colleagues who represent rural constituencies underestimate the impact of property taxes on Irish cities, particularly Dublin. Some of the people who protested outside Leinster House yesterday live in very modest semi-detached and terraced houses and they are paying between €500 and €800 in property tax. On 21 March next, they will be obliged to come up with this money again. They are of the view that this is enough and that the amount they pay in property tax should cover all local government services, including water. If people pay property tax of €700 or €800 per year, why should they be obliged to pay a further €160 or €260 in water tax? I have heard people put this argument forward time and again, and it is a very valid one.

Irish Water is unsustainable because of issues relating to the drainage function. I was about to refer to Deputy Mattie McGrath as a Minister. I hope he will be a Minister one day. In any event, the Deputy referred to the problem with drainage in many counties. The drainage system in Dublin city, including that part of it which is located in my constituency, is extremely complex and intricate. Local knowledge is required to operate and maintain it. I would prefer the engineers of Fingal County Council to look after the drainage system in its area of remit and those of Dublin City Council to look after that authority's system. That will be the way it will be done in the future. If we were reorganising water services, we would proceed on a regional basis. People in Dublin are used to a regional system. I served as chairman of the general purposes committee of Dublin City Council which operated the water system and which was responsible for developing a major facilities in Leixlip and at Poulaphouca, which the Minister may have visited. The committee in question ran the system despite not being given any money by either Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil. We had major difficulties in the context of trying to obtain resources from the two conservative parties. However, we operated a system which served the four local authority areas in Dublin and large parts of Kildare, Wicklow, Meath and Louth.

We had a major regional system and we believe the next Government will proceed in a similar way. As I stated, what is being done is wrong, even in engineering terms. It would certainly be wrong on the basis of a cost–benefit analysis.

The Minister faces tonight a major and desperate housing crisis in the city. The last telephone call I took before coming in here for the debate was about a constituent who is on the streets right now. I welcome the measures the Minister and Minister of State, Deputy Paudie Coffey, tried to introduce in recent days but I believe that, if one were to make a case for a national body to do work now being done by county and city councils, one would do it in respect of housing. We could have thought very seriously about setting up a single housing executive for the nation because housing is an area that was not delivered on. Many city and county councils just did not deliver the required amount of social housing, nor did they agitate enough to plan for or organise it. While a case could be made for a national housing executive, areas such as my county and region did very well, with no support from the conservative parties, regarding the provision of water.

Many speakers said that, by establishing the quango of Irish Water and passing section 3, the Government is putting us on the road to privatisation. The Minister says it is not but voted us down the other night on the points made by Deputies Clare Daly and Catherine Murphy on the use of “may” and “shall”.

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