Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief and not labour the points. The fact is that we are removing it from the democratic control of the local authorities. Somebody said on the last occasion we discussed this that customers' interests would be represented when discussing matters such as leaks. Such matters were dealt with at local authority level and there was great variation. Where there was investment the leak rate has been significantly reduced, even without meters. People see the difference between paying for water and paying for Irish Water. They have a major resistance. Even people who say they have no resistance to paying for water have a resistance to paying for Irish Water. It is a quango within a quango. That is 160 degrees away from what Fine Gael proposed during the general election campaign.

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