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

I echo the very thoughtful comments of Deputy Cowen. I commend Deputy Catherine Murphy for proposing this amendment which probably should have been proposed in another section, section 4 perhaps, because it is a fundamental aspect of the costing for Irish Water and of the future income and expenditure of local authorities.

I refer to new developments in the constituency I am proud to represent which is now Dublin Bay North. I refer to the effects of the crash on major developments in the constituency. These came to a halt when they were 20% completed and they must now be resumed and built in a sustainable and progressive way. We have all at one stage been councillors and we are familiar with the interaction between the local authority and developers in the preplanning stages of development. Additional information provided in the planning stages often relates to water services and to drainage in particular. In fact, drainage tends to be the key element of the expertise of local authorities because they know their own territory better than anyone else. Those who represent a seaside constituency or a constituency with high ground, have particular concerns in this regard. We are used to the planning process as it proceeds, possibly, to a decision by An Bord Pleanála. Deputy Murphy is correct that we need certainty as to how those development contributions will be made, how they will be estimated and what role Irish Water will have in that regard. There does seem to be a lacuna in the Bill. It is something the amendment, which I urge the Minister to accept, would begin to address. As someone who is opposed to the strategy, I would prefer to have local authorities involved, even on a regional basis, and that they would continue to administer water and drainage services. I am very familiar with the Dublin region.

It is difficult to see how the company will work in terms of development contributions. One thinks of the National Transport Authority and the National Roads Authority which are enabling national bodies but Irish Water seems to have a much more intrusive role locally. I agree with Deputy Cowen that it is difficult to see how the expertise we need would be available, in particular in the drainage sphere. When I appealed to the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, not to proceed with the Bill, I said in particular that I felt this monster quango with powers over every river and tributary and piece of drainage infrastructure in the country was not the way to proceed. We need local expertise - Munster people looking after Munster, Leinster people looking after Leinster, Connacht people looking after Connacht and the same for the Dublin region. The amendment is timely.

Another issue that arises is the way water services were funded locally, and the residual water duties and obligations which are left to local authorities, to which a number of Deputies eloquently referred in last week’s debates. Deputy Twomey’s thoughtful contribution suggested looking at other water companies. A major point in connection with Irish Water is the impact in particular of the property tax on my constituency. It is so disastrous and is placing such a heavy burden on people that the minimum they will expect after the general election is that the charges for which people will have to stump up sums of up to €800 on 21 March 2015, in addition to the new water charge, is that in future all local services will be funded under the one payment. That is something which, again, has not been thought out.

We have had many interesting contributions from constituents on the figures for the establishment of this vast new enterprise, following the long debate of last Thursday night. I am sure you have had a few of them yourself, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Again, no matter how many people try to figure out the numbers, one is talking about between €40 million and €60 million net advantage to the country. No matter how one looks on it, based on what we have heard to date, we can see that will be the net cost of all of this aggravation, anxiety, angst and unfortunately, desolation, or fortunately for the Government when it has to face the electorate. That is a desolate picture. I urge the Minister to look again at the matter. The amendment is timely because it is a major part of a huge jigsaw that Deputy Catherine Murphy has identified and which simply has not been addressed by either the Minister or the Minister of State.

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